


The Continuing Saga of the Girl in the Mirror of Room 121

by Remeny



Series: Omelianchiks for Vatya [2]
Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Disabled Character, Drug Abuse, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian Sex, Paranormal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-10 22:01:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 32,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12921120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remeny/pseuds/Remeny
Summary: The story of what happened after Violet was texted by a dead girl that lives in the mirror of room 121 at Stanford University.The continuation of the paranormal, lesbionic, uni AU no one asked for!There will be one more part, the memory of when Katya and Violet first met and Vi's accident and them getting together but I'm going to go back to Roses for a bit hopefully first.





	The Continuing Saga of the Girl in the Mirror of Room 121

**Author's Note:**

> CW (in no particular order) character death, illicit and prescription drugs mentioned by name, hospitals, blood, suicide, paranormal shit
> 
> Возлюбленная (Vozlyublennaya) means Sweetheart.
> 
> This contains a smut scene that took me 2 days to write and agonize over. I'm a fairly sex-repulsed pan-asexual so it was definitely a challenge for me! Thank you to Missy, a fellow Ace who writes amazing smut, for betaing this.

The Saga Continues

I gripped my phone so hard in my shaking hand that my knuckles were completely white. I broke out in a cold sweat, shivering and pulling the blanket tighter around me. I was terrified and then I got pissed. This had to be a joke.

I jabbed in a response so viciously that I split my thumb nail.  
“FUCK!”  
At least it was the same on from last night.

Me - Ok who is this? Pearl or Aja if this is one of you two...Keep in mind, I may be in a wheelchair but I can still kick your mother fucking ass!

Unknown caller: living impaired 3a

Living impaired? What the fuck did that mean? My head felt like it was going to split open as I tried to find deeper meaning in the cryptic text. I pulled myself onto my side and propped myself up on one elbow and rubbed my forehead. I grabbed the bottle of pain meds and shook out another one, it would make me foggy as hell but being unconscious seemed like a good option. My hands were shaking so badly I think I got more water on my bed than in my mouth but I managed to get enough to swallow the damn pill.

A memory from last night floated into my head as I flopped back down.

Didn’t I say something like “Listen Mr or Miss or whatever the gender neutral term is, listen ghost or spirit or living impaired, whatever you call yourself.” while I was freaking out and pacing circles across my floor? Didn’t see say she was stronger after 3.

I might not need the ice by the time Katya got back, I felt like my blood had turned to ice. I bolted upright with a little panicked moan as I burst into terrified tears, throwing my phone across my bed like it would burn me if I held it a second longer, I was breathing in tight little gasps of air, my heart thundering in my chest. I needed to get out of here.

The adrenaline rush I was experiencing in my panic made me careless as I frantically struggled out of the tangle of blankets and flipped myself into my chair. I pushed forward and heard a crunch.

“Fuck!” My foot must have fallen off the footplate or it wasn’t on there right to begin with and I had jammed my foot between my chair and my bed. It didn’t matter, I’m sure it was fine. I pulled it back up and zoomed towards the door, opening it so hard I had to catch it so it didn’t smack me in the side of the head.

I turned in my chair reached my hand out to snag my purse while I kept wheeling with the other hand. I was trying to stop hyperventilating but I was panicked with that totally unrealistic sense of impending doom you get when you’re a kid and your cousin dares you to stay in the supposedly haunted closet at your Grandma’s house for a whole minute that feels like 5 years.

I was barrelling through the doorway, not watching where I was going when I collided with another person.

“Ohmigosh, I’m so sorry!!” my hands shot out as I steadied the petite, bald girl (or boy? I wasn’t sure) who was carrying an armload of books, some of which toppled to the ground. “I’m so sorry! Are you ok? I don’t think we’ve met yet. I’m Violet.” My manners took over but I reddened, realizing too late that I was a tear streaked hot mess in a zebra onesie who just almost killed someone in a panic to evade a fucking ghost.

A shiver passed down my spine at the thought of the girl in the mirror. What had happened to her? Was she stuck in the mirror. Maybe she needed help or me to avenge her death like the cheesy episodes of the Ghost Whisperer with SJP. I wouldn’t mind being Sarah Jessica Parker but I wasn’t too keen on the ghost part of the situation.

“Hey? Hello?” The person said, waving a hand in front of my face. I totally somehow missed that she or he had sat down cross-legged on the floor beside their mess of books. This way they weren’t towering over me either, one of their hands resting on my knee which they removed quickly like they'd touched their hand to a flame.

“Are you feeling ok? I only ask because you’ve kind of been staring into space for the past minute or two. I was trying to get your attention but I put my hand on your knee and it just occured to me that maybe you couldn’t feel that.” They babbled. “Could you? Oh wait, don’t answer that! that was an awfully personal question.” They smacked their open palm on their bald head with a THWAP! so loud that it made me jump. They muttered to themselves, “God Sashinka, why must you be so awkward?”

“No it’s ok, I mean I can’t but it’s ok, what I mean to say is that it’s ok to ask. If you want to, I mean if you have questions.” I babbled back like babbling was contagious then we looked at each other and both let out nervous little giggles. I took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, “ok let’s start over and pretend I didn’t almost kill you.” I thrust my hand out, “hi, I’m Violet. Are you ok?”

“Good idea! I’m totally fine! My name is Sashinka Velurovna but everyone just calls me Sasha Velour.” They shook my hand with their delicate one and I noticed the paint flecks that spread halfway up their arms.

“Hey, are you Russian by any chance? Are you in the art program?”

“Yes to both? I mean my name kind of gives it away but how did you guess the art part?”

“The paint gives that part away,” I smiled and pointed at the well manicured hand I was still holding before I let it go.

“Oh yeah!” They smacked their hand on their head again.

“Do you make a habit of hitting yourself over the head often Sashinka? You’re going to leave a mark!”

“I do, my girlfriend always teases me about it! She says if I had hair, I’d pull it out with the amount of times I smack or rub my head in a day!” They turned serious as they checked their watch and once again smacked themselves, albeit much gentler, “oh shit! My girlfriend! Let me just send her a text.”

“Oh I don’t want to hold you up,” I backed up so I was halfway in my doorway again, I felt myself lean forward automatically so at least my body was still outside of my room.

“There done!” She said triumphantly, putting her phone back in the pocket of her long flowing palazzo pants in a loud geometric print full of hues of red, rose, orange and yellow. If it were on anyone else, it would look hideous but on her spritely little frame, it seemed perfect somehow, paired with a simple red leather or pleather crop top. Oh shit, she was looking at me as I studied her, a small smile lifted one corner of her mouth. I felt my face flush as she turned serious. “So you looked pretty upset when we met.”

“When I almost ran you over and made you a Sashinka pancake, you mean?”

She threw her head back and laughed. “Yeah that. What happened? What can I do to help? You looked terrified! It’s nice to see some colour back in your beautiful face because you were white as a ghost when you came out of your room looking like some ax murderer was chasing after you.” I flinched at the word ghost and she peered past me into my room. She mouthed, brow furrowing, “is there someone in there? Are you safe?”

“No there is no one in there.” right now anyway, I thought to myself and shifted my gaze from her concerned face.

She looked up at my door and tsked. “Ahh I get it.”

“Huh? What do you get?”

“You’re in room 121. The mirror. I get why you are so freaked out.”

My chin flopped open and I tried to think of a way to explain I wasn’t fleeing from text messages from a ghost. I sputtered and opened and closed my mouth a few times but no words would come out.

“It’s ok, I don’t think you’re crazy! I believe in that stuff. I could bring my ouija board over if you want to borrow it, I’ve heard that she will talk with you.”

“But…” I started but I saw Katya rounding the corner with her arms laden with food and 2 bags of ice. Sasha’s back was to her so I saw her first, then Sasha turned her head to see what I was looking at, in case maybe it was the ghost.

Katya’s eyes went wide and she stared at Sasha as if they might be a ghost themselves. I thought she was going to drop everything in her hands so I grabbed the bags and food and put them on my lap. She looked down at Sasha in wonder.

“Sashinka? Es that you?”

A look of recognition flickered across their face and then Sasha’s smile was radiant as the sun as she jumped up like she was spring loaded and pulled Katya into a bear hug. They jumped up and down on the spot screaming and started talking in rapid-fire Russian, Sasha had very little accent when speaking English so I had just assumed that their family line was Russian and thus they was named the way they were. I was wrong. Katya holding them out at arm’s length and then pulling them in again. Happy tears streaming down both of their faces.

I just sat and watched this happy reunion. After a few minutes of talking over each other, they both turned towards me smiling.

“Why do I have the feeling you two know each other?” I said sarcastically and couldn’t resist adding, “and that you were just talking about me.”

They both laughed, they still had their arms around each other and were squished together like they were trying to meld into one person. I’m glad I wasn’t the jealous type...well much.

When Katya spoke, she was breathless with glee, “Dis es my friend Sashinka! Sasha’s family fleed away from Russia in night and ve never got to say goodbye and ve couldn’t write because the politsiya vanted to hurt Sashinka’s father who spoke out against government. I voke up one mornink and my best friend vas gone, vanished. Oh Sasha,” Katya pulled Sasha in again as she sobbed into their shoulder. “I never thought I vould see you again!”

Sasha smiled through her own tears and corrected Katya, “your English is really good! I think you knew 20 words when we parted. Oh and the word is fled not fleed and they say Police here.”

Katya nodded and muttered “fled, police, ok I got it! Thank you! I understand better than speak it! You almost haf no accent Sashinka! You haf been here in USA whole time? Are you steel in gymnastics?”

Sasha’s face fell, when she spoke I did pick up a faint Russian accent that had gotten a bit stronger, “No, I am not in gymnastics, I still practice but I wasn’t able to enroll anywhere because they were looking for us and we didn’t want me to be registered anywhere. We had friends who owned a gym and would let me practice there and my father continued to train me. I was home schooled for the first 4 years after we moved, a lovely lady would come to our house and teach me English. My family was so scared. We actually moved to Canada! But we moved often, we would always keep in touch with the Russian communities in major cities and then we could move around very often more easily. Father was so well known and respected but occasionally we would pick up and move if he thought bad people were getting close to catching us." Sasha's eyes were wide and then they turned sad, "I’ve not been able to say goodbye to a great many friends until we were able to use the internet. I looked for you! I swear I did! I watched you at Worlds in the basement of a friends house but I couldn’t say that I knew you, I didn’t want to put you or your Mother in any danger. How is your Mama?”

“She es better than she vas, still sick but ok!” Katya said excitedly, Katya rarely spoke about her Mother but I did know she had been sick a lot when Katya was growing up and Katya spent a lot of time going between the gym and caring for her mother. The pressure for her to win competitions to get the prize money as the sole bread winner of her house must have been an enormous weight to bear. She also was home schooled but mostly did it all herself online, that is why her English wasn’t as good as it could have been. She understood more than she spoke because she used to watch old English movies and shows her family had on VHS.

I remembered nights of us snuggled up together watching Little House on the Prairie reruns and cracking jokes til our sides hurt.

“I’m so glad that Violet and I met! I mean, I would have seen you eventually Yekaterina but the school is very big and it could have taken MONTHS to spot each other! Providence came in the form of a crying panicked girl barrelling out of her room at top speed. I have to go meet my girlfriend but if you could put your numbers in my phone, I’d love to catch up! Violet, I would love getting to better know you as well!” Sasha said as we passed our phones around so Sasha could put her number in. Once Katya put her’s in and handed me Sasha’s phone to do the same, she crouched down and picked up Sasha’s books for her, straightening them out. When we exchanged glances, she looked at me with worry clouding her eyes over for a moment. I smiled at her, hoping it might help. I think it did. Well I hope anyway!

Cell phone numbers exchanged, Sasha surprised me by pulling me into a hug. “Thank you for making it possible for Yekaterina and I to reconnect. I can’t wait to tell my girlfriend!” They whispered, “if you want my Ouija board, let me know. I can even come and show you how to use it since it’s not something you can use with one person.”

“I’ll uh...think about it. Thanks.”

Sasha swished away and Katya turned to me, her face still radiant with joy, the smile slid off her face when she looked at me. “Vait! Did Sasha say you vere upset? Vhy are you in hall in your pyjamas? I mean you look cute but vhat happened?”

“I pretty much almost ran over her, I’m ok now. It’s nothing! Don’t worry my dear, I’m fine!” We were still both in the hallway. She leant over and gave me a kiss on my head. She still looked worried but I hoped she would drop it.

“Should ve go back in room now? You look pale, are you sure you don’t need Doctor? Or Max?”

She gently tucked a loose tendril of my hair behind my ear and studied my face. Going to the Dr or to Max’ office would mean I wouldn’t have to go back into my room. I chewed my bottom lip while I thought.

“Violet?” Katya knelt so her worried face was in front of me, her hands grabbed mine in my lap, “just tell me vhat happened? Please?”

I sighed, wondering how I could bullshit myself out of this one. I looked down, I knew she was going to be persistent until I told her SOMETHING. I didn’t know if she would believe me. I couldn’t bear her thinking I was crazy or worse, laughing at me.

She cupped my face and made me look at her. “Tell me. Ve keep no secrets remember?”  
Shit, she had me there. We had poured our hearts out to each other on face time while Katya was still in Russia. We both carried the heavy weight of many secrets and swore we would never keep anything from each other. That we both had one person who was safe to say anything to. I sighed and covered my face with my hands, peeking through my fingers at Katya like I was watching a cheesy slasher film, “but you are going to think I’m crazy though.”

“You? Crazy? No!” She joked, pulling my hands away. “I feel like you don’t vant to go into your room, do you vant me to get you some clothes?”

I nodded and added meekly, “and my cell phone please? It’s on my bed.”

“Da, I vill be right back.” She caressed my shoulder comfortingly on her way past me. I took a deep breath and let it out.

Katya returned momentarily with my backpack, handing me my phone and looping my bag on the back of my chair, she gathered up the bags on my lap. “I got you a pair of yoga pants, underthings, T-shirt, hoodie because ve are just going to relax in my room today. Soon ve vill be starting our classes and you vill need to gather your strength after that nasty fall. I also got some things from bathroom and your medicine in case your head still hurts. You look like you need a nap Возлюбленная.” She was right, like I expected, taking extra meds was making my eyes droop. “Come. Do you vant me to push you?”

I knew that if I said yes, that Katya would know how dizzy and tired I truly was. I HATED being pushed around. I was almost violently independent, when I was first injured I would snap at people who would try to help me up ramps but it was mostly because people wouldn’t ask, they would just grab my chair and steer me around while talking to me as if I was five years old. “Nope I’m ok.”

“Ok, as long as you are sure. Come on.” Katya led the way to the elevator and up to her room on the Third floor and let us into her room. She stepped back and waved me in.

Her roommate hadn’t arrived yet and all we knew was that her name was Trixie, what kind of name was Trixie? Hopefully she wasn’t a nightmare at least! For my Katya’s sake, she already had enough high maintenance in her life with me in it!

“Ok, bed you! Do not pass go, do not collect 200$.” I giggled, Katya was seriously obsessed with Monopoly. That’s why the board game cafe event today would have been perfect but I had fucked that plan up. Katya put the food in her tiny little fridge and surprised me by picking me up bridal style. I let out a surprised giggle.

“Sorry, no grip bars in here, you just have a Katya in here.”

I let myself relax in her arms, almost melting into her. “Fine by me. I like having a Katya.” I gushed sweetly, letting out a contented little sigh as she plopped me onto her bed. She went to move away and I grabbed her wrist, “would you lay down with me?”

“Da, on two conditions.” She squared a look at me.

“Anything.” I didn’t want to sleep alone in case I had nightmares, worried that maybe the girl could get into my dreams like Freddy Krueger.

“That you will tell me vhat happened vhen ve vake up,” she grinned devilishly, “and I get to be the big fork.”

I laughed, “I think you mean spoon although forking sounds like fun too.” I waggled my brows as we burst out laughing, then I let out a giant yawn. Well damn.

“Let’s talk about forking later.” Katya reached over and pulled a drawer open, tugging out the first T-shirt she could find, wrapping the knotted plastic bag of ice into it.

I curled up on my side as Katya climbed over me, hovering over me with an arm holding herself up over my body so she could cup my face and give me a deep, lingering kiss. I wrapped my arms around her neck and pulled my fingers through her silky, flaxen hair. When we pulled apart, we were both out of breath and I let out a plaintive little noise from the back of my throat.

“Are you sure we can’t renegotiate the forking?” I whined as she climbed over me. I felt the vibration of her chuckle as she laid behind me, her breasts smashed against my back as she put the ice against the top of my head and pulled her thick duvet over us. Then she nibbled at the back of my neck while I squirmed. She scraped her teeth against me as she sucked small patches of skin low at the base of my neck, swirling her magical tongue along them. “You’re such a fucking tease woman.” I leaned back into her as she wrapped her arm protectively around me and pulled me even closer.

I stifled a yawn but she saw or felt it. “Shhhh, go to sleep.” She reached up and pulled my hair elastic out so she could bury her face in my hair, inhaling deeply as she slowly ran her fingers through my freed locks. She softly exhaled a sigh by my ear, The bitch knew exactly how to get me, I stopped fighting and gave in to sleep, letting out a deep sigh of my own.

 

I woke up and blinked blearily at the clock and was just about to close my eyes, just five more minutes, when I heard someone clear their throat. My eyes snapped open to be assaulted by pink.

A girl with big, poofy light blonde hair was standing hesitantly in the doorway, shuffling from foot to foot, blushing and looking like she'd been caught in the act of doing something indecent. She was dressed in a short gossamer pink shift dress that almost looked like one of those 60s nightgown with pink platform MaryJane shoes and a big pink bow headband. She looked like she had the whole makeup aisle from Sephora on her face. She was carrying an honest to God Barbie train case and pulling two big Hello Kitty suitcases.

"Hey, you must be Trixie. Come on in." I whispered and reached behind me to poke Katya's shoulder, "Kat, time to get up." Trixie crept quietly into the room enough to slide the door shut with a click behind her as Katya mumbled something in Russian, she did that a lot when she was half asleep. "Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova, your new roommate is here love. C'Mon now."

Katya's head shot up and she smiled. "Hello there Trixie! I'm Katya." Katya pulled back the covers and scrambled over me to pull one of Trixie's bags out of her hand. and bring it over to her bed. Trixie noticed my chair and gave me a sad little look, I hated that look but I was just as guilty of giving it when I could walk so I forgave people for it. It was human nature.

"Do you haf more bags Trixie? Vhere are you from?" Katya said, pulling Trixie's ample cosmetics train case out of her hand and putting it in front of the little vanity mirror at the end of her bed. Katya bounced around like an excitable puppy while she waited for the shy girl to answer.

"No I don't have anything else, this is basically it." She shrugged. "I'm from Wisconsin?" Her voice inflected upwards as if she was asking or if she wasn't sure where she was from. "What about you?"

"I am from Russia and dis es my girlfriend Violet and she is from Atlanta. Ve didn't know vhen you vere coming or ve vould not have been sleeping! Violet just had a bit of an accident and needed to rest."

Trixie's hands flew up to her mouth, "ohmigod are you ok?"

I pushed myself upright and waved her off. "I'm totally fine! She's prone to exaggeration Trixie!" I joked, trying to put the poor girl at ease. She was really sweet and looked so concerned.

"Kat, could you please push my chair over so it's not in the middle of the room." Katya trotted over, pushing my purple chair over and putting the brakes on for me. She knew exactly where to put it, her hand couldn't help but shoot out when I transferred and overshot my seat.

I felt my face go crimson with embarrassment, I probably looked like such an incompetent poor disabled girl that Katya had to wait on. Great first impression Violet, an unkempt, zebra onesied, helpless gimp girl. Katya and I shared a look, she knew I was still so self conscious of this new body of mine, she smiled and me and pulled my hand up to kiss it and then leaned over to give me a quick kiss.

Trixie just stared at us until she noticed we were looking back at her, she lowered her head with a shy smile as she turned a shade of beet red. "Sorry, I don't mean to stare, I've just never seen..." She started sheepishly.

"What? Someone in a wheelchair?" I snapped. Katya gave my hand a squeeze and put her other one on my shoulder as if to say calm down.

"Oh no! No, no!" Trixie turned even redder, which I didn't think was physiologically possible. "No I have a friend with cerebral palsy. I mean I've never seen..." She lowered her voice dramatically "...you know gay women...uh...lesbians. I mean, you're both really pretty and I have always pictured the stereotypical butch girl. I'm sorry, I'm not good at this." She babbled and looked miserable.

Katya and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Awww she's cute, can ve keep her?" Katya joked as she plunked herself onto my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck.

Trixie joined us in our mirth after a few minutes of stunned silence, relieved after looking like she was waiting for us to jump her. Her face transformed when she smiled, she was naive and full of hope and I hoped that no one broke her little heart. I felt oddly protective of the obviously sheltered girl.

"We only dress butch on every alternate Tuesday and Saturday." Katya deadpanned.

"Really?" Trixie cocked her head to the side. This girl was too much.

I smacked Katya on the back while she scream-laughed, "no Trixie! She's just being a goof. You'll learn quickly to not take everything she says seriously. Actually, anything she says really."

"Hey!" Katya exclaimed in mock outrage, swatting my shoulder, laughing. "She es the one not to pay any mind to!"

I was feeling kinda flushed so I pulled the collar of my onesie in and out, enjoying the small gust of cooler air that fanned on my collarbones and chest. It was odd because I was generally a cold person, hence the fleece onesie at the end of August. Katya and Trixie were chatting amicably about something as I let myself fade out for a moment, the pain in my head screaming.

“Violet? Are you ok?” Trixie asked, suddenly snapping me back into focus.

I wiped a hand across my sweating forehead and gave a little nod, a wave of dizziness engulfed me for a moment until I stopped. “I’m fine! I just feel sticky and kinda gross.”

“You need shower before you get changed?”

I thought about going back to my room to use my accessible shower and shivered. Katya leant over and whispered, “if you don’t vant to go to room, I vill help you in bathroom down hall.” I loved that Katya knew me so well that she almost seemed like a mind reader some days.

My brain fought with itself for a moment, my pride and how crappy I felt duking it out for control, my pride and independence won. I mean, I knew I’d have to face my room sooner or later. I sighed, “no it’s ok. I got it.”

“I vill come vith you.”

“No you don’t have to! Stay and chat with Trixie, I’ll be up again soon.”

“But I vould like to keep you close, alvays but especially today.” Katya muttered worriedly as she tucked my hair behind my ear. I swear it was like a nervous tick of hers to play with MY hair.

“Actually, don’t worry about me! I will be fine and I have to meet my friend Kim soon anyway so I’ll just nest a bit and unpack and be back later.”

I was too tired to argue, I patted her hand, “ok whatever makes you happy love.”

We exchanged numbers with Trixie, making plans to hopefully meet up for dinner tonight. Grabbing the second bag of ice and some of the food with us.

My hands shook as I put my key into my lock, Katya swiped it from me and put it in the lock easily, giving it a twist. She walked in before me and looked around and waved me in.

I headed in, turning to go to the bathroom and AWAY from the mirror but Katya held onto the back of my chair, “Oh no! You do not get avay dat easy.” She plopped down on the institutional-looking orange patent leather armchair that was beside my bookcase and pulled my hand into hers, leaning over so her elbows were on her on her knees. She rested her chin on her other hand and looked me straight in the eye. “First, tell me vhat happened. Please?”

I sighed, I knew I couldn’t avoid the topic forever. “You know the urban legend that this room is haunted?” She nodded. “It’s not so much an urban legend as it is true. A girl appeared last night, she scared me and I jumped and that’s why I fell out of my chair.”

“Vait! You actually SAW her? Did she talk vith you?” Katya said, a look of incredulity. “Are you sure you didn’t just fall and hit head and have nightmare Возлюбленная?”

“No! I didn’t! She said boo but she texted me too!” I brandished my phone in her face, triumphant that I had proof. “Check it out, the unknown caller. That’s her. She even asks me not to get rid of her! Look!”

She picked up my phone and scrolled, looking puzzled. She looked up at me, brows knitted and looked back down at my phone. She gave me a look that was a cross between confusion and pity. “Vi, Возлюбленная, someone is very much messing vith you my dear.”

“That’s what I thought too but the whole ‘living impaired’ comment, it was something I said last night so short of someone bugging my room, NO ONE WOULD KNOW THAT!” I felt myself getting worked up but I couldn’t help it! I mean, I had proof!

“So you ran into Sashinka because you vere trying to get avay from ghost?” I nodded as she handed my phone back, looking hurt, “vell then, you are trying to mess vith me and I don’t like it! No secrets, remember?”

“Wha…” I sputtered, confused and indignant. “I’m not! I swear I’m not! You read them yourself!”

“Violet, there is nothink there. Do not lie to me!” She barked rather sharply and then her voice softened and turned sombre as tears pooled in her eyes, “did somethink happen? Did someone attack you? Are you not safe?”

I switched on my phone and frantically looked through my texts. There was nothing there! No texts from any unknown caller. “No, no, no!” I whined and burst into frustrated tears. Was I going crazy? “I SWEAR to you that it was there Katya! Do you believe me? Please tell me you believe me!”

She pulled both of my hands into hers and took a deep breath. “I believe you,” I exhaled and relaxed until she added, “I believe that YOU believe it.”

“No Kat…” I started.

She stood and poked around the bump on my head before sitting down again and holding my shaky hand, “I think you hit head much harder than you thought. Maybe you should see Doctor? I’m vorried.”

I felt so helpless and confused, maybe she was right? Not about going to the Doctor, my head hurt but I am sure that I didn’t do any type of damage. Perhaps I had dreamed it. I sagged in my chair, and rubbed my forehead.

“Maybe you’re right but it felt so real Kat! Do you think I’m crazy?” I ran my hand through my hair, wincing when it ran over the tennis ball sized lump at the back of the top of my head.

“No, I don’t think you are crazy at all my love! I know you vould not lie to me. Maybe you vill feel better after somethink to eat and a nice varm shower? Or vould you like me to tuck you into bed?” She quickly added, with round eyes. “I vill stay vith you. I vill not leave your side, I promise!”

I didn’t even know what to say or do. I was still in utter shock that I felt emotionally paralyzed, unable to make any decision, to even speak. I felt like my brain was being traitorous IF I did dream it and if it really had happened, I was set against a very crafty entity that I was helpless against.

For the second time today, Katya gently picked me up, pushing the bathroom door open wider with her knee. She set me down on the toilet, grabbed my onesie zipper, pausing to ask. “May I?”

I nodded and she pulled it down, I shrugged the parting fabric off as she leaned over and kissed my shoulder and along my collarbone to the other side. I threw my head back to give her better access to my neck and jaw.

My fingers played at the collar of her shirt, “Can I?”

“God yes!” She whispered in my ear, sending goosebumps down my neck and chest as I peeled off her shirt and unclasped her bra, running my hands down her arms as I took it off and tossed them into the corner. I rested my hands on her waist and she hummed into my neck before I could even ask. I unbuttoned her skinny jeans and shimmied them down her hips.

She wasn’t wearing underwear.

“Naughty, naughty girl,” I purred.

She grabbed at the fabric of my pyjamas as I kissed and sucked a line just below her belly button, marking her like she had me earlier. I nodded. She bent down and linked my fingers around her neck before plunging her hands into my pants, cupping my naked butt. I gasped.

“Now who is naughty?” She chuckled.

When she lifted me up, my onesie fell off at the same time she kicked off her pants. Katya held me against herself in a reverse piggy-back so my legs were straddling her above her hip bones, making them less likely to fall off. She stumbled and readjusted her grip, pulling me close protectively. Her velvet-skinned breasts pressed against mine, her nipples hard as she brought us into the large shower stall that was open on one side. A long shower bench sat under the showers spray. Katya reached over and pulled the lever, turning the shower on before sitting down on the bench. I was still spider monkeyed around Katya as I captured her mouth with my own, my hands roaming down her slick back and around to swirl my thumbs around her rock hard nipples. Her hands caressed my ass, knowing exactly where the feeling in my legs stopped and staying above it. Katya’s attention to detail and our open conversations about what felt good and what didn’t to each of us made her an attentive and passionate lover.

Her lips left mine as she pressed open mouthed kisses on my collarbone and up my jaw, capturing my earlobe between her teeth and pulling gently before sucking on it. My eyes fluttered closed as I ground down on her. I massaged her breasts, alternating between giving her nipples a pinch or twisting them mildly. She moaned by my ear, sending a delicious shiver down my spine.

She pivoted us and gently laid me down on the bench, stopping momentarily to just stare down at me while water bounced off me. She held eye contact with me as she knelt and pulled me so my legs dangled off the edge of the bench. She hovered over my body, her breath making the heat pooling in my belly intensify. I let out a needy whine.

She moved deliberately slow, placing lingering kisses on my right hip bone and across my belly, stopping to swirl her tongue around my belly button. I grabbed her by the hair and guided her head in the direction I needed her to be before she could reach the other side. She chuckled, her breath tickled and I squirmed.

“So impatient.” Before I could open my mouth to retort, she flattened her tongue and licked a wide stripe, causing me to curl my fingers around the edge of the bench to avoid falling off in surprise. She circled her tongue around my clit as my breath hitched, I held on to the bench with one hand as I slid the other up my side to play with my almost painfully erect nipples.

Katya smacked my hand away as she pulled away long enough to say. “Shhh. I’ve got you.” While she sucked on my clit, she smoothed her palms up my abdomen and cupped my breasts, her thumbs toying with my nipple rings, occasionally tugging one. I moaned and writhed in ecstasy, one hand now tangled in her wet blonde hair. The hot water was running out so Katya slapped a hand at the knob. She crawled up my body, running her tongue along before circling my nipple, clenching the silver ring in her teeth and giving it a pleasantly painful tug as she inserted one and then two fingers, crooking them as she pumped them in and out. Her thumb circled my clit, sending me over the edge as I clung to the sides of the table while my back arched and the rest of my muscles spasmed. I’m sure my toes would have curled if they could as my whole body tensed and then released, my head falling back as I panted. Katya braced herself with one hand so her face was hovering above me; she was out of breath too. She slowly and deliberately brought her fingers up and sucked on them with a little satisfied, cocky grin.

I was finally able to release my grip on the sides of the bench and brought my shaking hands to pull her face in so I could trail wet little kisses up her jaw and neck, her golden hair like a curtain around us. She moved my hair so she could put one elbow on either side of my head to brace herself so her whole weight wasn’t on me, I swear she thought she would crush me. I liked that she treated me like this precious, fragile ethereal creature when we were intimate. She pulled her fingers through my hair while we kissed until we were both breathless, our breasts pressed together as I cupped her ass so I could pull her in. She rutted against me, mashing our pubic bones together, trying to find some kind of friction.

I pulled her face away from mine and whispered, “baby let me take care of you. Help me sit up?” She captured my lips in another deep kiss before climbing off of me. I held my hands out and she pulled me into a sitting position, I turned so I was sitting facing the wall as I forcefully pushed her up against it, grinning devilishly up at her as I slowly kissed one nipple, trailing between with kisses and then the other before nipping at them, making her breath catch. I put my hands on her waist, kissing her abdomen while she made a pitiful little noise like a cross between a moan and a whine.

“Now who’s needy?” I teased as pulled her leg up and hitched it behind my shoulder, giving me full access. My fingers lightly trailed along her little tuft of blonde hair, my thumbs exploring along her folds before parting them to suddenly sweep my tongue across her vulva. Katya let out a huff of pleasure in response. I smiled before shifting my focus to her sensitive nub, alternating between applying pressure, soft laps and sucking gently. I wrapped my hands around her butt to pull her closer as she entwined her fingers in my hair. Katya rocked her hips into my face, throwing her head back as she moaned. I continued while pushing a finger inside her and then another, adding a third and bending them, enjoying the sounds of her falling apart reverberating off the bathroom walls. Her leg started to quake, she let go of my hair so she could reach behind and held onto the grip bar for support. Her face contorted, her mouth shaping into a sinful O, hot liquid squirted out past my hand and down her leg as she clenched around my fingers. I put my spare hand around her waist to keep her from toppling over. She relaxed her leg and wobbled to sit on my lap. She cradled my head against her chest as we both caught our breath and the pounding of her heart echoed in my brain. We were both completely spent as we put our arms around each other.

“Holy fork!” Katya panted.

“Yeah.” I let out a little giggle and she joined in. I nuzzled her neck and pulled her face to mine. I shivered against her and she stood up and turned the shower back on, hot water cascading down my back. Katya stood behind me and pulled my shampoo off the shelf, massaging some into my hair, being careful around the lump on my head.

I am fiercely independent but having someone bathe you because they wanted to take care of you not because it was their job was intimate and freeing. I trusted Katya enough to give over control, I leaned back as her soapy hands roamed my body. I sighed contentedly as she wrapped me up in big fluffy pink towels. She threw my housecoat over her and then put my hands around her neck again so she could pick me up.

“Chair or bed?”

“Bed, definitely. You can be the big fork.” I teased with a little snort of laughter.

“Goof.” She sniggered as she gently set me down on my bed. She backtracked to the fridge and pulled out our food she had bought earlier. She passed them to me and grabbed some bottled water. She grinned devilishly and dove at the bed as I let out a little squeal as she clamoured over me while I leaned back on my elbows.

She turned back towards me, crossing her legs in front of me. I pulled myself up to sit facing her as well. Katya’s face fell.

“What? What’s wrong?” I said, grabbing her hand.

“Your foot. Violet, vhat happened to your foot?”

I looked down and swore softly, the foot I had heard a crunch from earlier when I was evading what was probably a figment of my overtired, over active and over caffeinated brain was an angry, swollen and purple mess.

“Shit! I thought I caught my foot on something earlier.” I yawned, “I’m sure it’s fine, just a sprain. It’ll be fine.” I didn’t want to explain what had happened because I didn’t want to think about it. I pulled the container of cheese and crackers over, hoping it would placate her if I ate something.

She pursed her lips together but didn’t call me out. “Ve vill have to wrap it and keep an eye on it I think. You know you have to check these things Vi. It’s important to me that you are being careful. I don’t vant anything bad to happen to you.” She chastised gently as she pulled her own sandwich over.

“I know, I know I should. You are totally right.” I yawned again, “I promise I’ll be more careful.” I pushed my half eaten food container onto my bedside table and chugged down some water. My eyelids felt like they were being weighed down by invisible sand bags.

She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and stroked the side of my face, “You must because I vould be lost and heartbroken if you got sick or hurt again. Now go to sleep.” She reached over me to put her empty container in the waste basket as I turned onto my side. She curled into me and draped her arm over me protectively. I didn’t have much of a chance to think about anything before sleep overtook me.

 

I woke up to Katya trying to sneak off the end of the bed as her phone rang from the bathroom. I stirred and rolled over sleepily and she swore softly, “sorry I vas trying to get it before it voke you up. Go back to sleep love.”

She disappeared into the bathroom, I heard her talking but didn’t know about what or who she was talking to. I put my head back on the pillow, shut my eyes and tried to go back to sleep but my brain was buzzing like there were bees in it. I looked at the clock, surprised we’d been asleep for 3 and a half hours.

Katya poked her head back out and saw I was still awake. Frowning slightly, she pushed my chair over to the bed. Whoever was on the phone must have stepped away for a moment and was now back as she started talking in rapid Russian again. Probably her Mom. A few minutes later she pulled the phone away from her ear and covered the receiver with her other hand, “Trixie texted she can’t meet us for dinner, but Sashinka is vondering if you and I vant to go out vith her and her girlfriend Shea for dinner at the board game cafe! It’s ok if you aren’t feeling up to it, maybe we can reschedule for later this week.”

“No, that sounds like fun to me! That’s perfect since we missed it this morning!” I propped myself up on my elbows, smiling at her look of happiness as she said goodbye to Sasha. I pulled myself up, only slightly dizzy this time and was about to swing my legs over the side of the bed when Katya’s hand shot out to stop me.

“Let me look after your foot first.” She went over to her purse and pulled out a tensor wrap, I raised my eyebrow questioningly as if to say ‘do you always carry around first aid supplies?’ She shrugged and waved a hand at me, “Vhat? I’m a gymnast, I have all kinds of crap in here. You know the deal.”

“Yep I do.” I had a whole variety of other supplies I carried around now, I thought somewhat morosely.

“You ok?” Katya asked, cocking her head to the side.

“Yep.” Katya felt around my foot and I grimaced, even though I couldn’t feel it. It just looked painful.

“Does it hurt? You are making a face. Vhat is that face Violet?”

“No, of course it doesn’t hurt but I remember breaking my foot during floor practice so it’s like my brain knows it’s supposed to hurt. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”

Katya paused for a moment, “kind of makes sense. Your brain is still trying to connect with your spinal cord so it’s likely to misfire. I don’t think it’s broken but are you sure we shouldn’t--”

“No I’m not going to the Doctor!” I interrupted her before she could finish, she chuffed like a horse as she finished wrapping it up.

“You are stubborn as a mule Violet. If it doesn’t look better or the swelling doesn’t go down in 48 hours, you are going to need to get it looked at even if I have to drag you there by the hair.”

I chuckled and put my hands up, “ok! Ok! Geeze woman!” I reached my hand out to touch her arm. “I’ll be careful, ok? Thank you. You take such good care of me but you worry too much. I’m just fine.”

‘Aside from seeing things and a wicked headache, sure you’re fine Vi.’ I thought to myself.

I got ready to go out, pulling out a pair of dark skinny jeans and a grey long sleeved T-shirt instead of the sweats Katya put in my bag. I could tell Katya wanted to change by the way she kept looking down at her faded and ripped jeans and wholey favourite sweater but that she didn’t want to leave me alone in my room.

“Go ahead and change if you want to love,” I said, resolutely turning away from the long mirror and using my little vanity mirror across the room, opening the drawer and pulling out my foundation and a brush. The dark circles under my eyes had to go. I turned to flash her a smile, “I’m fine here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I insist. Go! Get! Should we meet in the lobby in half an hour?”

She smiled, “sounds good. Text or call me if you need me before then. I can be down here in a minute.”

“I promise I will. Please don’t worry.” Katya was always interested or concerned with my welfare because she loved me but I hated the furrowed brow that had taken up residency on her face today.

“Ok, I’ll see you soon.” She leaned over and gave me a quick peck and disappeared from the room.

I let out a shaky breath, so the whole ghost thing must have happened in my head or from my fall but being in here alone was still kind of unnerving. I glanced quickly at the mirror through my reflection, nope, no booger monster in there. My head hurt, I shook a pain med out of my bag, downed it and went back to applying highlighter, contour and a quick smokey eye. I could swear I caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye but everytime I looked, nothing was there.

After the fourth time, I chastised myself out loud in a whisper, “stop it Vi! You dreamt it up. You let all the stupid ghost stories and urban legends get in your head. You had a nightmare, it happens. But it wasn’t REAL! There were NO texts, you must have nodded off for a second and dreamt them. Katya is right, you whacked your head really hard.” I rubbed my temples and closed my eyes for a moment, “aaaand now you’re talking to yourself. Go you!” I added sarcastically, sighed and opened my eyes again to see my tired, stressed out looking reflection, my bottom lip quivering. I saw a flash of white across the room and spun around, but nothing was there. I slung my bag over my shoulder and pulled my favourite crimson leather jacket on. I tried to put on a pair of heels, since it was one of few wheelchair perks that I could wear them without getting sore feet but I couldn’t fit my wrapped foot into it. I settled on a pair of Katya’s cute black knee-high boots that she had left here. Her feet were a size bigger than mine but it still barely did up around my swollen foot.

I left a light on and softly shut the door behind me, I would be early in the quad but at least I wouldn’t be here, freaking myself out. I wasn’t there long when Katya appeared, wearing a killer sleeveless scarlet dress that hugged her small but muscular frame and her shiny black high heels that we called her fuck me pumps. I was surprised she was actually wearing makeup, something she generally reserved for meets, but tonight she had on winged eyeliner and a bright red lip. She made a passing comment of “nice boots” on the short walk to the cafe. I laughed and elbowed her in the side as we continued on.

The cafe was crowded when Kat and I got there, the tables and booths crowded with students. The hostess at the door gave me a worried look after we said we had a reservation and gave Sasha’s name.

She talked to another employee and then pulled us to the side, looking uncomfortable. “Sooo, I’m sorry you will have to wait a few minutes, my manager said we just have to shuffle some people around because no one told us that you needed a table so we could pull out one of the chairs. We had you in a booth and there isn’t enough room to put your wheelchair at the end without it being a fire hazard Miss. I’ve been told to offer you a free game for your trouble. Again, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s ok can go in a booth if you have a place out of the way to put my chair.” I offered, smiling at the nervous looking girl who was chewing on her lip ring. Her nameplate said Acid Betty and I wondered if it was a themey thing. She had an edgy look to her, but not gothy edgy since she was a riot of colour. Her hair was seriously giving me Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony vibes and her bright makeup was on point. After a moment of scrutinizing her look, it dawned on me that she was a drag queen. I’ve always thought drag queens were so cool and admired their creativity, especially when I was heavily into gymnastics and not allowed to dye my hair, get piercings, tattoos or “alter our bodies in any way unbefitting to an athlete and more importantly a delegate of the United States of America.” It was pretty sad that I still remembered it word for word from the handbook and sadder that I still hadn’t done any of those things now that I could.

“I could put it in the staff room. It’s locked so no one will mess with it there. If that’s ok.” She offered, looking relieved.

I nodded and she showed us over to a booth, thankfully they weren’t super high so I transferred rather easily, scooting in so Katya could sit on the outside. She handed us a free game voucher and games, drinks and food menus. “If you don’t see me when you want to leave, just ask for Acid and someone will come find me. I’m here til closing, is there anything I can get you before I leave and put your chair in the back?”

“Do you have Monopoly?” Katya asked with a giant grin lighting up her face.

Acid laughed, “we not only have Monopoly, we have a whole monopoly SECTION! We have pretty much every variation you can think of, the 80th anniversary collectors edition, Harry Potter, Dr Who, Star Wars, Disney, sports, Christmas, The Walking Dead to name a few. I think we even have a Canadian themed Monopoly around here somewhere.”

“Ooooh goody!” Katya exclaimed and clapped her hands in glee, “be right back Возлюбленная!”

I was left behind as I gazed around in wonder at the bookshelves lined with rows and rows of different board games, big and small. Some were so new, they weren’t even out of their plastic and some old well-loved ones that were battered at the corners.

“Hey Violet!” Sashinka called, crossing the room hand in hand with a tall black woman with sleek black hair who was turning heads in a tight, sinfully short dress with a graphic print and a knee length bright orange faux fur coat. Sasha was wearing a red felt oddly taco-shaped hat that was definitely a statement piece and a white and black swirled dress.

“Hey! Katya will be right back, she is looking at the Monopoly section.”

Sasha rolled her eyes and chuckled, “it figures! She’s been obsessed with that game for as long as I remember. This is my girlfriend Shea, Shea this is Violet.” Shea slid into the booth opposite me and Sasha plunked down beside her.

The Nubian queen offered her hand, “Shea Coulee, nice to meet you.” She had the cutest smile, her teeth weren’t straight at all but they were white and the exuberance with which she smiled was absolutely charming.

“Violet, nice to meet you too.”

Katya rushed up with the 80th anniversary edition of Monopoly clutched to her chest, sliding into the seat beside me. “I got one! Hi Sashinka! And you must be Shea! Nice to meet you!” Katya offered her hand and Shea offered her full name again.

Sasha said something in Russian, the only word I caught was Monopoly, and Katya fired back at her laughing.

Shea and I looked at each other, she cocked an eyebrow at me. “Do you speak Russian?”

I shook my head, “nope, the only words I know are a few swears and the word sweetheart because Katya calls me it all the time. You?” She shook her head.

“So are you a student at Stanford?”

She nodded, “BA in fine arts, my major is fashion design with a minor in dance. You?”

“Well I haven’t declared a major yet but I’m taking some Bachelor of Arts and Sciences courses. It’s a big decision.”

Shea nodded and gave a laughing Sasha a little elbow. Sasha’s face fell and she covered her mouth. “Oh I’m sorry, we were being rude. English. I promise. Sorry Violet.”

“Hey it’s ok, you both have so much catching up to do.”

Katya put her hand over mine, “but ve can do that in English too.”

Acid came back and took our drink and food orders as Katya giddily set up the Monopoly board in the middle of the table. I tried to order a salad but Katya gave me a look, I sighed and added half a wrap to my order which earned me a brilliant smile. She really was too good to me and worried way too much.

I learned that Sashinka was also a fine arts major and that she spoke several languages besides Russian and English. That her and Shea had met the last time that Sasha and her family had moved when Shea had been doing an internship at a Toronto based fashion company. Their friend Trinity had introduced them about 9 months ago and they had hit it off immediately and have been dating ever since.

Sasha and Katya quickly forgot that they should speak in English and there were little stretches of time where they would babble away in Russian, both tripping over each other’s words and laughing. Shea and I politely talked about our programs, classes we were looking forward to, dorm life expectations and dorm life reality.

After Katya won at Monopoly by owning at least half the board, we played Trivial Pursuit which Sasha kicked our asses at.

“Show off.” Shea teased.

“Hey! Don’t be upset because I bitch slapped you with my intelligence dearest.” She joked back, throwing her head back in laughter and looking at Shea like she hung the moon.

When we were ready to go, we decided we would walk back to the edge of campus together. Katya quickly excused herself to go find Acid and my chair after she insisted on paying for all of us. Sasha excused herself to go to the restroom. I scooted to the edge of the booth and swung my legs over the side.

“You coming Violet?” Shea cocked her head to the side, offering her arm. Oh shit, she doesn’t know! This was the one drawback of transferring from my chair.

“I...um...have to wait for Katya.”

“I’m not gonna bite!” She laughed, “we can meet them outside. There’s a lineup of people waiting for a table.” Shea said coolly, giving me a look over her round orange glasses. She’d become somewhat gruff with me for the last hour or so and I wasn’t quite sure what I said or did to make her upset with me.

“Um...Shea, I thought Sashinka would have told you…” I trailed off, if she was already mad at me, making her feel stupid was going to be the icing on the fucking cake.

Shea crossed her arms, “told me what?”

“That I’m a paraplegic and I literally almost ran her over today. She didn’t mention it?” I had become used to being disabled as one of my identifiers. It wasn’t a bad thing, I was the queer, skinny, brunette girl in a wheelchair.

“No she didn’t, so you can’t feel your legs at all?” She was grinning at me and I was more than a little creeped out.

“Nope, that’s what paraplegic means.” I grumbled, “ok why are you looking at me like that?”

She sat down again, still grinning, “Violet I’ve been flirting with you all night,” she laughed, “I’ve been playing footsie with you all night too! I just thought you weren’t a big fan of the chocolate.” She said cockily and raised her right eyebrow.

I didn’t even know what to say. Thankfully Katya and Sasha were crossing the room again, Shea put a finger up to her lips and said shhhh. What a creeper!

“You ok hun?” Katya inquired, parking my chair in front of me. I could feel Shea’s eyes on me as I moved into my chair, all of the hair on my neck and arms was standing up as I slid my jacket on. “Are you cold?”

“Here, borrow my coat. I insist!” She said, pulling her coat off and making a scene of putting it over my shoulders. She whispered in my ear, “my number is in the pocket. Stash it before we get back to campus.”

“Aww that’s so nice of you to lend her your coat Shea Shea,” Sasha gushed, pulling Shea’s hand into her own.

Shea flipped her hair, “happy to help out.”

The walk back to campus was filled with Sashinka and Katya jabbering on, sometimes in English and sometimes in Russian.

Shea grabbed my chair at one point, “your arms must be tired. I don’t mind.” Sounding like she was doing me the world’s biggest favour.

After telling her no nicely twice, I abruptly turned my wheels, breaking her grip. The stop caused the other two girls that were ahead of us to pause and Katya saw what Shea was trying to do.

“Don’t Shea, Violet really doesn’t like people pushing her. She can do it herself. If she needed help, she’ll ask.” Katya said firmly, picking up on the tension between Shea and I.

“Oh ok. I was just trying to be helpful. Sorry Vi.” She pouted.

“It’s ok, I just really don’t like being pushed around.” I gave her a look as if to add that I wasn’t too fond of pushy people either. We reached the edge of campus where Sasha and Shea had to go the opposite way from Katya and my dorm. I peeled off Shea’s coat and handed it back to her. “Thanks for lending me your coat.”

“You can keep it and give it back to me later. I don’t mind.” Shea said silkily.

“Nah! Katya will keep me warm.” I retorted, Katya put her arm around my shoulders and nodded.

“Ok fine. No worries.” She slipped the bright orange garment back on, putting her hands in the pockets and frowning. Probably because her number was still in her pocket and not in mine!

Sasha and Katya hugged while Katya marveled “I still can’t believe it! After all these years Sashinka!”

“I know!! Thank the Goddess that Violet almost ran me over!” Sasha joked, pulling me into a one armed hug while trying to keep her hat out of my face.

Katya was hugging Shea, “it vas so good to meet you Shea! Ve vill all have to go out again soon so I can get to know you better since Sashinka and I did most of the talking tonight. Sorry about that.”

“Violet and I had some interesting conversations, right Vi?” Shea teased.

“Sure did! Yup! Nice to see you again Sashinka and nice to meet you Shae.” I said with a little yawn. It was a totally fake yawn but it had the desired effect of Katya saying goodnight so we could part ways with the other girls.

Katya and I paused for a minute when we got into the building, unsure of whether to go to her dorm or mine.

Katya’s phone rang, “Hello?” Katya paused for a moment, looking concerned. “Trixie is that you? Calm down, vhat are you saying? Vhere are you?” Katya paused again and I mouthed ‘go get her’ to her. “I vill be right there. Stay put!” Katya hung up and gave me a peck on the cheek, “I vill message you as soon as I get Trixie ok?” She didn’t wait for an answer but ran out of the door.

I hoped Trixie was ok. I wondered what happened as I made my way to my room. I pondered all of the things that could happen to a newly transplanted country bumpkin and each idea was worse than the last.

I pushed open my door, fumbling around in the dark to turn the light on, locking the door behind me and going directly to my PJ drawer and pulling out my snuggliest pair. I yawned widely and stretched my arms out, before changing and hopping into bed, I put my phone beside me for when Katya called and wrapped a blanket around myself as I cracked open my book.

I woke up in darkness, I didn’t know where I was for a moment. My book had fallen over my face. I pulled it away and it was still dark. Ugh the bedside lamp liked to short out at the most inconvenient times, not that there was ever a good time for things to short out. I groped around in the dark for my phone but couldn’t find it. I could have sworn it was right beside me.

I groped in the darkness for the lamp when my phone rang, making me jump. My phone wasn’t on my bed anywhere though. It was laying on the floor feet away.

In front of the mirror. I must have knocked it off my bed. There was no way I could get to it in the dark though, I clicked the on/off switch on the lamp a few times but it wouldn’t work. I didn’t want to transfer to my chair in the dark to get my phone since I had managed to knock myself out and fuck up my foot already today, who knows what kind of trouble my currently accident prone body would get into in the dark.

But I really needed to know that Trixie and Katya were ok and I knew Katya would worry if she didn’t hear from me after the day we had. My phone started ringing again.

I grabbed my laptop and typed in a facebook message to Katya.

Hey hun, my phone is on the fritz so I don’t know if you texted or called me, I kinda fell asleep for a little bit. Are you and Trixie ok? What happened? Message me back on here.

I started scrolling through my facebook, smiling when I got a friend request from Sashinka Svetlana Velurovna and then groaning when I got one from Shea Coulee. I would have to think about that one, I couldn’t very well accept Sasha’s friend request and not have her wonder why I didn’t accept her girlfriend’s. No, I would leave it for the moment.

I needed to talk to someone about that whole situation but it couldn’t be Katya because she might tell Sashinka and she was so lovely, I didn’t want to be the one to break her heart with tales of her girlfriend’s treachery.

As if by magic, Aja’s face popped up on the screen. I answered their facetime, pasting a smile on my own tired face.

“Ayo Sis, what’s good?” Aja blurted and giggled.

“Hey, on a scale from sober to falling off your chair, how drunk are you right now?” I inquired, wondering if I told them about the situation, if they were too wasted and would just fly off the handle in typical Aja fashion.

“Well I’m still upright but definitely NOT sober sis!” They joked and then looked serious, “hey, what’s going on? It’s a Friday night before school starts Monday, you aren’t attached at the hip to a Russian blonde, you are in your fuzziest PJs AND you’ve been sleeping in your makeup.” Aja sat up straighter in their desk chair, “wait! Did you and Katya have a fight? Do you need me to shake--I mean talk--some sense into her? Because I can be at your place in 10 minutes.”

I chuckled, Aja may not be Latinx by blood but they definitely carried the fiery personality inherited by their adopted family, “easy Cujo! Katya and I are fine. It’s this other girl.”

“Uh oh.”

I explained that Katya reunited with someone from her past and we went out and what Shea said.

“What a fucking creep!” Aja smacked their hands on their desk, “and she tried to give you her jacket with her fuckin’ number in it after all of that?! How fucking bold is that!?” Aja crowed, you could almost measure Aja’s level of sobriety with the amount of times they said the word fuck or it’s variants in a sentence. They were pleasantly toasted but not sloppy drunk yet.

“Ok you can tone down the awe and admiration a touch.” I added sarcastically, holding my hands out.

She laughed, “sorry it’s just a bold fucking move. I mean, she was playing fucking footsie with you.” Aja snorted, “which is fucking hilarious. I mean footsie with a paraplegic. I mean she didn’t know but still, the visual is amusing.”

“Gee thanks. Why did I think you would be any help at all?” I laughed.

“Hey, can’t blame a bitch for wanting to hit dat fine ass!” Aja leered at me and waggled her eyebrows at me. We both burst out laughing. “But it’s definitely an odd situation, are you going to tell Katya?”

“I don’t know, she’s really excited to reconnect with her friend, I don’t want to create drama and make things awkward since we will probably be going out with them as a group again sometime.”

“Maybe the girl will clue in that you aren’t interested and things will be chill next time?” Aja offered hopefully. She leaned her head to one side and studied me for a moment. “Are you ok girl? You look kinda pale and tired as fuck. Are you feeling ok?”

I sighed, raking my hands down my face before rubbing my temples and reaching a hand back to gingerly feel around the top of my head at my scraped and raw scalp, the lump hadn’t gone down hardly at all. I winced, “I’m fine, just a bit of a headache, I’ve been a bit of a klutz in the past 24 hours and have fallen and knocked myself out cold last night and then this afternoon I kinda smashed my foot up.”

“Jesus! Do we seriously need to bubble wrap your ass sis? Did you go to the Dr?”

“What do you think the answer to that question is?”

“I know! I know you hate them Violet.” Aja’s face got serious, “but maybe you SHOULD go? I mean, I know they’re a pain in the ass \nd make you feel anxious and remember things you'd rather forget but you might have seriously hurt yourself this time.”

“God did Katya call you to try and convince me to go?” A guilty expression flickered over their face for a fleeting moment. “Oh my God, she did, didn’t she? DIDN’T SHE?!” I put my hand over my eyes and then pinched the bridge of my nose, shaking my head.

“Ok honestly, yes, Katya texted me. She seemed upset, said she found you passed out, that you had a nightmare or hallucination or something and said you didn’t seem like yourself. That you seemed scared. She worries about you, which I think is cute. She didn’t tell me to ask you to go to the Doctor, that was all me. Have you been eating?”

“Yes! I had lunch AND supper today! And I ate yesterday too!” I added before she could ask. I sighed, feeling so tired, “Listen I know you guys worry about me and I appreciate it but I’m a big girl, I can make my own choices. I promise I’ll be careful. I have to go, my head is killing me but thanks for listening, enjoy whatever party you are going to tonight, stay safe.

“Ok Sis, listen, don’t be mad at Kat, she just loves you a lot and wants to protect you.”

“I know but I’m pretty good at protecting myself if you hadn’t noticed.”

“I noticed, bye Sis, I’ll message you tomorrow.”

“Bye Aj!” I waved and clicked the off button.

I sighed and leaned back on my pillows. There was a ding and I sat up straight. Katya had finally responded.

Katya - That sucks about your phone, I hope it can be fixed. Glad you got some rest, that is great! Trixie and I are fine, on our way back to the dorm. About a 20 minute walk away. Trixie got really lost and turned around when she went to meet her friend Kim and she said she thought some guy was following her. She went into a hotel and called her friend but she couldn’t get a hold of her and we are the only other people she knows here. The guy stopped walking for a minute when she went inside but then left. She sat with security until I could get there. Poor thing was shaking like a leaf so we stopped for coffee.

I typed back;  
Geeze that’s scary, no wonder she was freaked! Wow 20 minutes walking? That is a lot of wrong turns! Hopefully the guy just thought she was someone else or it was a coincidence that he stopped. Make sure that she gets a whistle from the student centre just in case he comes back. Are you going to come over after you guys get back to your room?

Katya - I think I should stay with Trix, she’s still pretty upset. Why don’t you come up to us, we can have a sleepover!

It was tempting but I worried that if I kept running from my room at night that the nightmare that I had had would make it hard to sleep when I inevitably HAD to sleep in my room alone, like when Katya went to gymnastic meets. I knew I had to nip it in the bud.

Me- I think I’m going to stay here, I honestly don’t think I will be able to stay awake for 20 more minutes! I’m so tired! Wanna meet in the quad at 8 to go for breakfast? Invite Trixie if she wants to come.

Katya - switch that 8 to 9:30 and we have a deal! I haven’t slept in in forever! How is your head feeling?

Me- sore but it’s totally fine! Nothing a little sleep and meds won’t cure. I’ll see you in the morning. Tell Trixie I’m glad she’s ok.

Katya - I will, I love you, I hope you have a good sleep. Facetime me if you need anything. Restart your phone and see if it fixes the problem, it might just be a glitch.

Me - I love you too! I will do that in the morning, I’m going to let it charge for the night first. Sleep well. Bye!

Katya - bye love.

I closed my laptop and put it beside my bed within reach. I rubbed my tired eyes, curling into a ball and felt the pull of sleep immediately tug me down.

Life completely got away from me for the next few weeks with the business of school starting, social events and sometimes watching Katya practice and giving critiques. I didn’t think of the dream very often. Occasionally I would wake up to find something that was beside my bed suddenly sitting in front of the mirror but I used to be a sleepwalker so maybe now I’m a sleeproller? I reasoned with myself. When I DID sleep in my room, I was so exhausted from classes that I generally immediately fell asleep as soon as I got in bed.

Shea had backed off, she still flirted but not as aggressively. I still hadn’t told Katya, even with our no secrets rule. I started finding little reasons to cut my visit short when we would get together with both of them, I would always insist Kat stay if she wanted to, saying I needed to study.

The problem was that Sashinka was fast becoming a dear friend and invaluable person in my life and I felt bad for not saying anything to her about Shea. I mean, chances are if she was willing to sneak around or flirt with me, she was doing it with someone else who might actually take her up on her propositions and Sasha loved her so. Being around them both tied my stomach in knots for days leading up to and after the event.

So with all the stress and studying, I hadn’t really thought much of the nightmare.

Until I got the flu while Katya was away at a meet. I had slept in the afternoon but couldn’t manage to stop barfing long enough to sleep more than half an hour at a time that night. I would randomly fall asleep hugging a bucket and wake up to use it, burning with fever.

It was a comedy of errors earlier in the day when Katya had Trixie check on me, she had at least brought me the bucket but within 5 minutes of her arrival, I had used said bucket and found out Trixie was a sympathetic puker. I sent her away when she emerged, green-faced, from my bathroom apologizing in tears.

I had my book beside me when I fell asleep but when I was jolted awake, it was half way across the room again. Maybe I threw it? I thought for moment before I buried my head in the bucket.

“Ugh, fuck.” Dragging myself into my chair to empty the bucket in the washroom. I was wheeling sluggishly back to bed, feeling like my muscles were on fire, when the lights went out. There was light coming from my phone screen, reflecting off of the mirror. There was a face reflected in the mirror but it wasn’t mine. She was pale with a cloud of white hair.

“Hello.” She said in a high voice that echoed slightly, “Don’t pass out this time, please. I’m not going to hurt you. Dawn is soon, I can’t talk once the sun comes up. The text thing was a one time deal unfortunately, I just didn’t want you to get rid of me.”

My vision blurred and I closed my eyes against the spinning room. This wasn’t happening. She wasn’t real.

“Don’t pass out, please don’t pass out Violet!” The girl begged in a whine.

“I’m gonna get in bed now.” I muttered drowsily at myself, since I was most definitely alone. I clawed my way into bed, out of breath from even that small amount of exertion, curling in on the bucket. The mirror was humming a song I didn’t know.

“I’ve been trying to talk to you for weeks. You’re never awake and you’re really hard to wake up!”

I didn’t respond, trying to firmly stay in my denial that this was even happening.

“I mean, I don’t even know if you know how hard it is for me to manifest my voice.” She complained. “I really wanted to talk to you. I’m real and I need your help.”

I started throwing up again, eventually resurfacing and setting the bucket aside to run a hand through my sweat soaked hair. My heart pounding in my ears was almost deafening as I muttered “you’re not real Sharon,” before my eyes fluttered shut again.

I woke up to a ray of blinding sun shining on my face, I let out a grunt at the pain in my head and squinted before I brought a hand up to shield my eyes. What a crazy fever dream I had last night, I remembered parts of it, the girls high pitched whine as she tried to convince me she was real, I think I remembered her begging me not to pass out.

I pulled myself up to sitting and reached for my chair but it was across the room, parked facing the mirror with the brakes on. Scrawled on the mirror, in some dripping crimson liquid that looked like blood were the words I’M REAL! S.

I started hyperventilating and crying. I couldn’t have wrote that on the mirror in my sleep because how would I have gotten back to bed?

“Oh God, oh God, oh God!” I put a shaking hand over my eyes, my head was pounding and my stomach was churning and I felt like I was going to pass out.

I sent Katya a message, trying to distract myself from my racing thoughts.

Me - hey when do you get back?

Katya sent back a message immediately. I had to blink my eyes a few times before I could read it, the words were swimming around and it was adding to my dizziness.

Katya - We are on the bus back, going to stop for breakfast soon. How are you feeling my love?

Me - ugh, fever’s bad, head hurts, dizzy, can’t move except to barf

Katya - Oh my darling, I’ll be home soon to take care of you.

Katya couldn’t come here! There was no way in my current state of weakness that I could drag myself across the floor to my chair and clean up the mirror! I couldn’t have her laughing at me again, thinking I was cracking up under the pressure or looking for attention. I felt like I wasn’t getting enough air as I fumbled to type in

Me - NO! You can’t come here! You’ll get sick! And then the team will get sick and it will be all my fault! Please don’t!

Katya was taking awhile to respond, they must have stopped for breakfast and she probably forgot her phone on the bus. I had slid back down, lying on my back in the bed with a frustrated sigh. I fell asleep and dropped my phone on my face a few times while I waited for her to respond. I rolled over onto my side with a little cry, “you’re such a fucking weakling Violet,” was the last thought I had before I lost consciousness.

I woke to someone singing softly in Russian, there was a tinkle of water while she wrung out a cloth and pressed the cool material across my forehead. My eyelids were so heavy, I couldn’t open them. I sighed and tried to sit up while I croaked out, “Katya, I told you not to come.”

I felt a hand push down on my chest, forcing me to lay back. Putting the cloth back on my forehead and smoothing back my hair. “Shhh, it’s not Katya. It’s Sashinka. Just rest Vi.”

“Oh Sasha, hi.” I said dumbly, finally gathering the strength to open my eyes to see Sasha’s concerned face over me.

She chuckled, “hi yourself.”

“Wait, how did you get in here?” I squeaked out. “Please tell me you didn’t tell Max I was sick, did you?” I added in a whine, trying to sit up again.

“Would you just lay back down and rest kukolka! I didn’t tell Max, Katya called me in a panic when she couldn’t get in touch with you and asked me to get your key from her room to check on you. She said was going to be late getting home because the bus got in an accident.”

“Oh my God, is she ok?!” I brought my hand up to my throbbing head, weirdly on the edge of tears. “Is she ok Sash?”

“She’s okay! Katya is fine! It’s all going to be okay Violet, just rest dear kukolka.” Sasha frowned as she rinsed the cloth and returned it to my forehead. “You’re burning up. Maybe we should get you to the hospital?”

I reached out and grabbed her hand, “no, please, no Sashinka,” I begged. My stomach rolled as I frantically looked for the bucket, Sasha pushed it into my hands and rubbed my back until I was done vomiting and feeling so spent I didn’t even have the energy to hold my head up anymore. Sasha started singing again and my eyes fluttered shut again.

Later when I woke up, I opened my eyes to the most blindingly white sunlight. I groaned and shielded my eyes. I must have finally slept through the night or maybe I dreamt the whole waking up to a bloody mirror and then waking up to Sashinka taking care of me?

“Violet? Oh thank Goddess!” Sasha exclaimed, she pulled my free hand into her own and patted it. “Just a second, let me turn down the light.”

Turn down the sunlight? What? The light behind my eyes dimmed and I was able to blink open my eyes and lift my head to look around to see the white walls of the student clinic, an IV in the hand Sasha was patting again. I flopped my head back, “Sasha, you didn’t.”

“I’m so sorry kukolka, so so sorry! I know you didn’t want this but your fever was so high and I couldn’t keep you awake.”

I closed my eyes and groaned, imagining the fucking scene it would have caused to have an ambulance come screaming up to the dorm to take the poor disabled girl away. I opened my eyes and looked at Sasha’s remorseful tear stained face. “It’s ok Sasha, you were just doing what you thought was right. How long have we been here?”

“Shea and I brought you here about 2 hours ago.”

“You and Shea?”

“Oh yeah, she told me to say she hopes you feel better soon, she wanted to stay but she had to work. She took the bus and left the car here so we can get back. Oh your chair is in the trunk! I’ll have to bring it in.”

“Wait, we didn’t take an ambulance? How did you guys get me in here?”

“You don’t remember?” I shook my head, “oh well, you woke up enough that we kept you upright and managed to wheel you out to Shea’s car but then you wouldn’t wake up when we got here and we were freaked out so we just,” she shrugged, “carried you in. How are you feeling? I was so scared! I have to let Katya know you’re awake, she’ll be so relieved! She was so worried!”

“YOU TOLD KATYA?” I bellowed, much more furious about them freaking her out than being dragged here.

“Violet, no! I HAD to call her, they were asking me questions like what your level of spinal cord injury is and when it happened? How long you’d been feeling sick? If you took any medication and I didn’t know the answer to any of them! They wanted to give you medication and I didn’t want them to give you something that was going to make you sicker if you were allergic or if it interacted with any medication you may be taking! Katya talked to the doctor herself. Please, please don’t be mad at me kukolka?”

I sighed, “I’m not mad at you Sashinka. Where is Katya? And what do keep calling me?”

“Katya will be here as soon as she can but when I talked to her, they still didn’t have a new bus and a few of the girls were still getting checked out. I don’t know when she will be home so you are totally stuck with me.”

I was confused for a minute but then I remembered about the bus accident. “The accident! So some of the girls were actually hurt? How bad was it? Is everyone going to be ok?”

“Katya said one of the girls broke her wrist and a few needed stitches but most of them just have bumps and bruises. However, one of the trainers was standing up when it happened and,” Sasha paused, furrowing her brow and chewing on her bottom lip, “I think she was really hurt though. Katya wasn’t sure how badly, maybe she’ll be able to give us an update?”

“Yeah maybe.” I muttered noncommittally, “do you have my phone?”

“No but you're welcome to borrow mine, you can just hit redial she's the last number I called.” Sasha said holding her phone out to me. “Do you want me to leave so you have some privacy?”

“No no you're fine Sashinka! So first I should probably ask you if the doctor said anything or have me meds because I guarantee you that's going to be the first question that she's going to ask me.”

Sasha nodded, pulling out a piece of paper from her jacket pocket. “Yes I wrote it down kukolka, they gave you fluids and electrolytes, some nausea medication called Zofran, a medicine for fever and the same pain medication Katya said you take at home that I didn't quite catch the name of. They said you were very dehydrated.”

“I figured as much. I was trying to drink Gatorade but the more I drank, the more came back up. Hey Sasha?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“ I have two questions. When can we get out of here? And what is a kukolka?”

Sasha turned red, the blush spreading up her neck, sweeping across her face and over her bald head. “Oh that. Sorry it just slipped out, my Mama used to call me that as a term of endearment when I was sick as a girl, it's probably a horribly patronizing thing to say to a grown woman!”

“Why don't you let me decide that, so what does it mean?”

“Well it translates into little doll or dolly.”

I grinned, “I like it.”

“Good, I'm glad. Do you want me to go ask when we can go?” I nodded and she left the room as I dialed Katya’s number.

Katya picked up on the first ring, rattling off a long trail of Russian that had my name in it.

“Hey it's me Kat. Are you ok? Did you get hurt in the bus accident? Sash said one of the trainers got hurt?”

She let out a low little chuckle, “I should ask you how you are first.”

“Too slow!” I teased, “no seriously, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I have a few stitches in the back of my head but it's ok.”

“No! That is most definitely NOT ok! My poor baby!”

“No I’m really fine, Farrah broke her wrist and cut her knee up, she’s been crying ever since. I svear the Doctors vere going to give her an elephant dart to the neck at any minute but she fell asleep, probably from the pain meds.” We both let out a little giggle, not that she was hurt but Farrah was a huge drama queen and the youngest person on the team. The bubble gum pink haired girl was always crying or moaning about something. “But the new coach Alaska was hurt the worst, she’s in surgery now. She was standing up facing the back when the bus was hit. She broke her leg in 2 places when she got it caught on the way down and she hit her head pretty hard and had to get some stitches.”

I screwed up my face, “fuck ouch! Poor ‘Lasky! Is she going to be ok?”

“Da, she vill probably not be able to work for a few veeks but I do have some more bad news on top of that.”

“Oh no! What?”

“Vell, ve haven’t been able to get a bus yet so it seems ve might have to stay here for the night. I am so sad because I vanted to be there to make sure you vere ok and to take care of you.”

“I’m okay, I’m sorry you don’t get to come home tonight. I miss you. I am so glad that YOU are okay. That must have been so scary.”

“I miss you too. So Sashinka said you vere really sick, I’m so glad I didn’t take your spare key vith me. I just had a bad feeling. Vhat happened?”

“Well the day before you left, my stomach felt a little funny but when I woke up at dawn yesterday I could not stop throwing up. I’m sure it’s the stomach flu, I thought it would be over by today but it just seemed to get worse. They gave me meds so I’m not throwing up anymore, well at least not right now. And they said I was dehydrated so they gave me fluids. I’m mostly just feeling weak and like I could sleep for the next 500 years so you aren’t missing much by not being back and maybe by the time you get home I’ll be feeling better.”

“I hope so,” I hated hearing the worry that tinged her voice.

There was a clatter and Farrah let out a moan and whined out Katya’s name. She started sobbing loudly.

“I think that’s your cue you have to go. Text me later and if I’m not asleep, I’ll message you back. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. I’m a tough cookie.”

“Shhh Farrah I’m right here,” I heard Katya whisper and then in a regular voice, “I vill text you later my love. Feel better and take good care of yourself. Thank Sashinka for me.”

“I love you too, don’t forget to put some ice on your head.”

We disconnected the call and I let my head flop back, closing my eyes for a minute.

When I woke up again, Sasha was back in the room and she had brought in my wheelchair. Her face was serene as she read a book named Maidenhair by Mikhail Shishkin. She looked up and smiled sweetly. “Hey, welcome to the land of consciousness again! How are you feeling?”

I rubbed my eyes, “how long have I been asleep?”

“Oh about an hour.”

“An HOUR! Why didn’t you wake me? When can we get out of here?” My stomach lurched and I swallowed thickly. I wanted to go home so I was NOT going to bring up that I was feeling nauseous again.

“They said to let them know when you woke up,” she gave me a knowing look, “maybe you should ask for a prescription for nausea meds to get you through?”

“You are freakishly intuitive girl.”

“And you are freakishly green, you look like Alphaba.” She teased as she swished out of the room.

It was dusk by the time we were finally freed from the clinic, clutching a prescription for 2 antinausea meds and a strong recommendation to put some type of food or drink in my system. After stopping at the pharmacy, Sasha said she just had to pick up a few things from her and Shea’s place before we could go back to my own. I fought with myself for a few minutes before texting Sasha.

Me - hey Sash, would you mind grabbing your Ouija board, you know, in case we get bored.

She texted back one word.

Sashinka - sure!

She came out shortly after with the old-looking box under one arm and a small duffle in the other. When we got to the dorm, I was having a hard time transferring, my shaking arm muscles felt like jelly and there was nothing to grab onto.

Sasha hovered for a few minutes, before gently asking if I needed help, I put my head down and sighed before nodding. Sasha pulled me into a hug and stood up, pivoting to set me softly in my chair. I was surprised at her strength despite her wispy frame.

We got to my room and I opened the door, noticing immediately that the mirror was clean. Maybe I really HAD dreamt it in my fever induced state.

Sasha saw me staring, “I cleaned the mirror off. I figured you wouldn’t want to see that when you woke up.”

“So it was really there?” She nodded. “So I’m not going crazy.”

“No, I feel it. There is a trace here.” I cocked my head in confusion. She took a deep breath and sunk into the orange chair, “I am a sensitive. I can talk to them, ghosts that is. I’ve been able to do it since I was around 7 when I drowned in a lake, thankfully they were able to revive me but I’ve been able to see and hear people who are dead ever since. I also can sometimes sense other people’s emotions if they are strong enough. I know it sounds surreal and trust me, it feels surreal too but it’s the truth. I’m able to control it now but when it first happened, it was scary and overwhelming.”

“I can imagine! Dying is scary enough! I can not imagine going through that as a child!”

“So you’ve died too?” She looked at me, wonder and curiosity on her face.

“Uh-” I probably should have worded that differently, I hated talking about it. “Yes, I did. After my accident, I remember landing and then I couldn’t breathe. At first I thought that I just knocked the wind out of myself but then I couldn’t move and things went fuzzy. Then I was looking down at myself and I freaked out, I saw one of the trainers come up and yell for help but it felt like every minute I watched, the more detached I became from what was happening.” Sasha nodded.

My eyes were getting droopy again from the IV meds they gave me before it was removed. Sasha was suddenly beside me, her long fingers gently resting on my shoulders. “You need to go to bed dear Kukolka,” I opened my mouth, “no, no, no, don’t even start. I’m staying and it’s absolutely no bother. I can read here as well as I can at home. I’m not going to leave a friend in need just so I can sit at home and read.” She chastised firmly, giving me a no nonsense look.

“What a crazy day! If I fall asleep, will you wake me up if Katya updates us about how the new coach Alaska is doing once she gets out of surgery? I hope she’s gonna be ok!” I fretted.

I let her steer me to my bed, she kept a steadying hand on my back while I got in and then pulled the blankets over me. Sasha left and returned with a cool cloth which she placed over my eyes, I sighed as she sat on the side of the bed and smoothed my hair back as if I was a young child. “I promise I will wake you with news kukolka.” She started singing the same Russian song as before, my limbs felt like lead as I relaxed into my mattress and tripped into sleep.

I woke up to knocking on the glass, an incessant tap, tap, tap. I blearily looked at my alarm clock. It was 4:24 am, across the room Sasha was fast asleep, mouth wide open with her tiny frame draped across the arms of the chair.

I had to pee so bad my bladder hurt, one of the hazards of IV fluids. I propped myself up on my arms and that is when I noticed my chair was halfway across the room again, brakes on and in the same position facing the mirror as before. The ouija board box on the seat. Sasha must have put them there for some odd reason. Maybe she had little Russian idiosyncrasies like Katya did, like always putting empty bottles on the floor, not kissing or shaking hands in doorways or making sure if I got her flowers that there was an odd number.

Tap, tap, tap.

Sasha stirred, sitting up and rolling her neck with a pained look on her face. She looked puzzled as she gazed at my chair and then she noticed I was awake.

“Hey, how did you move your chair?”

I looked at her in shock, I mean how could I have moved it? “I thought you did.” I muttered but Sasha was no longer looking in my direction, her vision firmly fixed upon the mirror, head cocked to one side as if she was listening to someone or something.

I hesitantly turned to look, expecting to see the white haired girl but there was no one in the mirror. “Sasha?”

“Hmmm?” She looked over at me with a dreamy expression.

“Can you uh bring my chair over? I really gotta pee.” I let out a little giggle.

She shook herself and pushed my chair over, she was preoccupied and kept looking towards the mirror.

We both jumped at the next tap, tap, tap and I expectantly looked at the mirror, frowning when she wasn't there.

“Should I get that?” Sasha asked once I was in my chair and halfway to the washroom.

“Huh?”

“I think someone is knocking on your window dear.”

“Oh that! Yeah, it's probably someone who forgot their key!” I said as I slammed the bathroom door shut in my haste.

I was surprised to come out of the bathroom to find Sasha sitting on my bed cross-legged, there was another person facing her with their back to me. At first I thought it was the girl from the mirror until they turned towards me.

“Ayo Sis!!” Aja announced with a giggle, they were definitely drunk.

“Aja? What are you doing here?!”

“Pearl kind of kicked me out. She had someone over and needed the room to themselves if you know what I mean. So you were the only person whose room I knew I could get into at 4 in the morning and who hopefully wouldn't be too pissed that I woke them up at 4 in the morning?”

There was another tap, tap, tap and I went to go over to the window to pull the curtain up, “did you bring friends with you or what?”

“Or what.” Sasha said in a whisper, staring at the mirror.

The girl was there.

“Well hooooly shiiit!” Aja said as they fell off the bed.

Tap, tap, tap.

Sharon looked at us and then at the dusty Ouija board.

“Oh I think she wants us to play!” Sasha exclaimed as if it were the most normal thing in the world to want to talk with a spiritual entity that's trapped in your mirror.

Sasha pulled my side table out to the middle of the room, dragged the orange chair over. Sasha looked at Aja who was still staring at the mirror, open mouthed and sprawled out on the floor. “You in?”

“Fuck yeah! Of course I'm in!” Aja scrambled up and pulled over a folding chair from the corner.

Sasha pulled out the board and a small white candle, lighting it and turning off the overhead light. She swirled the planchette around in a figure 8 a few times while Aja and I joined her at the table.

We added our fingers to the board as Sasha said, “we invite communication from the spirit world, specifically from the girl in the mirror of room 121.”

The heart shaped hunk of wood under our fingertips jumped.

“You're moving it!” Aja accused me until they saw how round my eyes had gone but I still shook my head for good measure.

Sasha started spelling out letters and stringing together words.

“S...H...A...R...O...N, oh your name is Sharon?” Sasha looked up at the girl in the mirror who nodded frantically. “Oh look she’s spelling something else! H...E...L...P. Oh no! She needs help! How can we help? What happened to you?” Sasha had tears in her eyes, “you’re so sad, I can feel it. You’re poor heart!” Sasha finished on a little sob as the tears overflowed down her face.

“I D...O...don’t H...A...have. M...U…much T...I...time. She said she doesn't have much time!”

“Yeah she told me she can’t communicate after sunlight.” I blurted, the other two just stared at me in shock. “What? She told me last night.”

“She can talk?” Aja sputtered and glared at Sharon, “why are we doing all this bullshit then?”

“Because I guess it takes her a lot of energy to manifest her voice?” I looked up at Sharon to see her look of delighted surprise that I actually took in what she said in my fever altered state.

“She spelled out the words long story, not enough time, tomorrow? But I can…” Sasha paused, thinking as she bit her lip.

“You can what? Spit it out sis!” Aja commanded impatiently. I let out a little chuckle.

“Well I can try to channel her. I did it for my aunt once when I was 17.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea Sash?” I asked.

“I have to try!! I mean I can feel her heart just breaking, I can’t wait a whole day to hear what happened! You can get the story and tell me when I get back.”

“When you get back?”

“It’s hard to explain. I’ll just center myself and let her speak through me.” Sasha withdrew her hands from the took some deep breaths and lowered her chin to her chest.

At first I thought it hadn’t worked. Sasha was still, it looked like she wasn’t breathing. “Sashinka?” I said in barely a whisper, my voice shaking.

I was about to take my hand of the planchette and reach for her when she sucked in a big breath of air, her head still down. When she looked up, her face was almost unrecognizable as it transformed into a malevolent grin. The harsh change in Sasha’s features made me gasp.

“Hey, thanks for the ride.” She laughed, it was high pitched and evil sounding, devoid of any actual mirth. She was feeling her body as if to confirm she was real.

“So what happened to you?”

“I’ll ask the questions.” Sharon barked, the sneer marring Sasha’s face was so uncharacteristic that it made all of my hair stand on end. She turned her cold eyes on me, “where is Alaska?”

“Alaska?” I asked, perplexed as to what Sharon would want with Alaska, maybe they were friends? I knew Alaska had been a student here before she came back as a coach. She had blanched after she found out which dorm and room I was in.

“You said she was hurt. Where is she?”

“I don’t know! At a hospital somewhere between here and San Francisco. What do you want with Alaska? What is she to you?”

“She is my everything.” Sharon said cryptically as she abruptly stood up, grabbing Sasha’s phone, purse and keys.

Aja and I both sprang into action. I wheeled to the door, blocking the exit while Aja approached Sharon with their hands out.

“Listen sis, this isn’t cool. Why don’t you tell us your story and then give us Sasha back and we’ll bring Alaska to you when she gets back to town?” Aja said in a calm voice, now stone cold sober.

Sharon moved so quickly, Aja didn’t have time to scream when Sharon picked them up by the neck, her strength clearly superhuman and spat through gritted teeth, “I am NOT your Sis!” She threw Aja across the room, thankfully they landed on my bed first which broke their fall a bit before bouncing off and crumpling to the floor where they lay unmoving. I wanted to go to them but I was frozen by fear.

Sharon turned her cold glare on me, “get out of my way Violet.” She commanded in a cold dull voice. “I don’t want to hurt you but I will if I have to.”

“No! I’m not going to let you do this! Give us Sasha back!” I crossed my arms and sat back in my chair. “We will help you get a message to Alaska but this isn’t the way.”

“It is the ONLY way!” Sharon exploded at me, “don’t be stupid Vi, MOVE ASIDE!”

“NO! I’m not going to let you do this!!”

“You don’t understand,” Sharon said in a softer voice, true sadness crossing her face. “You can’t possibly. I need to see her!”

“I can’t let you go Sharon.”

“You have no choice!” Sasha’s face contorted with rage as she backhanded me across the face with such force that I was knocked from my chair as I landed with an oof, putting a hand up to my throbbing cheek. Sharon looked at me in disdain as she left, taking my wheelchair with her. She stopped for a moment to announce, “you’ll get this back. This is so you can’t follow me. You can’t stop me, I’m unstoppable!” She laughed as she slammed the door behind her.

I just laid there for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. Then I remembered Aja, they still weren’t moving. I pulled myself over to them and shook their shoulder, “Aja! AJA! Wake up!” I put my hand on their chest, thankfully they were still breathing. I lay flat on the floor so my mouth was beside their ear. “C’Mon Aja!”

They sat bolt upright, coughing and breathing like the wind had been knocked out of them and looking around frantically and hugging themselves around the middle. I made them jump when I said, “over here Aj!”

They looked at me, blinking a few times in confusion. “Where’s your chair?” They asked in a gravelly voice, grimacing and rubbing their neck.

“Sasha...er Sharon took it!”

Aja mouthed the word “BITCH!” and let out a grunt of frustration.

“Aja, we got bigger fish to fry. I need your help, we have to warn Katya, can you find my cellphone? It should be on my bed.” Aja tried to scramble up and fell back with a cry of pain. They tried again, gritting their teeth. “Easy Aj! You’re injured. Just stay down! Do you have your phone on you?”

They shook their head, “no, I forgot it. Otherwise I would have called you before I showed up.” They tried to get up again and grunted in pain.

“Just stop it! Lay down! You’re gonna hurt yourself worse. I have an idea.” I dragged myself over to my bed and yanked on my blanket until it fell, my phone clattering down with it. I reached for it, fumbling it before getting a better grip. I managed to roll myself onto my back, jabbing in Katya’s number.

Aja laid on the floor again curled on their side, pulling in ragged little breaths as they tried to control their breathing. I didn’t know if they were hyperventilating from shock or if Sharon had done some kind of damage to their throat.

Katya’s number rang and rang and finally clicked to voicemail. “Hey Kat! Listen, this sounds crazy but trust me, DO NOT tell Sasha where you are! Call me back please, it’s an emergency. I’m so scared. I love you!”

I hung up and texted her, Don’t tell Sasha where you are! It’s important! Trust me! Please call me!

I wiggled my way the few feet over to Aja. I put my hand on her back and she jumped, “it’s just Violet, she’s gone Aja.” They nodded but didn’t say anything. “Where are you hurt? Do you need me to call an ambulance? Oh shit, you’re bleeding.” I don’t know why I didn’t see it before except that side of their head was turned away from me before they had laid down again. There was a slick dark puddle by my bed that was slowly seeping into the lavender coloured blanket I had pulled to the floor. My stomach lurched. I reached over and pulled a dark T-Shirt out and pressed it to the side of Aja’s head, they let out a little hiss of pain. “Sorry! Sorry! Shit! Hold that!” They raised a shaky hand to hold the cloth in place.

I reached up, barely reaching the bed bar as I labouriously pulled myself to sitting, switched on my bedside lamp and then dragged myself backwards over to my large closet, pulling the folding door open. I swear I heard the hallelujah chorus go off in my head as the light shined onto my old beat up chair that I used to play wheelchair basketball.

I was pulling it out of the closet when my phone buzzed. I abandoned the chair and scooted back to my phone.

There was a text from Katya.

Katya - Why? It’s too late anyway, she offered to drive me and whoever else could fit in Shea’s car back home. She was acting kind of funny, like she might be drunk or high, she refused to speak in Russian. Was she drinking? Is she unsafe to drive? I’m confused because I thought she was supposed to be taking care of you! Did you guys have a fight? You didn’t kick her out, did you?

I hit redial and it went directly to voicemail. “Dammit Kat, call me back!” I threw my phone in my hoodie pocket and went back to Aja, who was still laying on their side, mouth open and staring blankly ahead but their unblinking eyes weren’t focusing on anything. “Hey Aja, what can I do? Do you need me to call an ambulance? AJA!” They didn’t respond for a second and I had pulled out my phone to dial 911 when they shifted and took a deep breath, eyes darting all over. “Shhh hey hey hey, easy Aj! Are you ok? Talk to me? Do you need me to call someone?”

“No sis, I think I’m ok, I think the wind got knocked out of me. I'm just in shock. I got a wicked headache and my neck is killing me.”

“No wonder!” I opened a drawer and grabbed a few of the instant ice packs Katya insisted I keep on hand after my foot and head injury. I smacked them and passed them over before going back over to my chair and hefting myself into it. I rolled over and held a hand out to Aja, “do you think that you can sit up? Slowly!”

They nodded and with many grunts and moans, we managed to get them propped against the side of my bed, both of us out of breath.

I was just passing Aja a wet cloth for their bleeding head when my phone rang, making us jump.

“Hello? Katya is that you?”

“No it’s Shea, how ya feeling?”

“I’ve been better but much better than this afternoon. Listen, I have to leave the line open because Kat is going to call me about one of our friends who was in surgery.”

“Oh ok, no problem. It’s just…” she paused and I expected her to hit on me or something, “is Sasha there? I’m sorry for calling so early but I’m kindof worried, she’s not answering her phone and I was hoping if you were feeling well enough, that Sash could run out real quick and drive me home. I hate working nights and I’m exhausted because I worked a 14 hour shift. If I go on the bus, I’m gonna fall asleep and miss my stop.”

“N..n..no she had to go grab a few things at the store for us. Maybe her phone died? I mean she was probably on it when she was bored out of her mind during the day while I was sleeping.”

“Good point. When she comes back, can you have her call me?”

“How about I do you one better, I’ll go on my Lyft app and get you a ride? I’m happy to help since you helped me this afternoon. I don’t know when Sasha will be back, she just said she had to pick up a few things and was going to grab me some soup and ginger ale. Does that work?”

“The good ol’ you wash my back, I’ll wash yours kinda thing?” She purred and then yawned loudly. “Yeah, just text me the deets, I know you need to get off the phone, I hope your friend is ok!”

“Thanks Shea! Bye!”

“Bye gorgeous.”

“Do you have anything for pain?” Aja croaked.

“Yep. Are you sure we shouldn’t get you to a hospital?” I passed them water, a bottle of Advil, a bottle of tylenol and then passed over my percocet. Ok I know I shouldn’t share meds but one of my best friends was just thrown across the room like they were a rag doll, some of the most gruesome bruises I’d ever seen were blooming around their neck from a friend possessed by a possible sociopath.

“Nah sis, I’m fine. Just a little beat up. Ask me again when the adrenaline wears off. Holy shit! That was unreal!” The somewhat rye look on their face slid off to be replaced by a look of sheer panic.

“What?”

“If Sharon’s soul or whatever is in Sasha’s body, where is Sasha’s?” They asked in a high pitched squeak.

I ran my hand through my hair, “shit, I don’t know! I’m calling Katya again.”

I fished my phone out and pulled up my Lyft app and quickly ordered Shea a ride before I could forget. Just as I finished, my phone rang, startling me so bad that I almost dropped it.

“Katya, is that you?”

“Da is me! Vhat is wrong? Vhat happened?”

“Ok listen, I’ll explain it but first you need to know that you CAN’T let Sasha see or talk to Alaska! Do you still carry around that little bottle of holy water?” I always teased Katya about carrying it but she promised her devout Christian Orthodox Mom that she would keep it on her and I hoped with every fibre of my being that she had kept that promise.

“Yes, of course! I promised my Mama. Vhy?”

“Ok when Sasha gets there, you need to throw it at her.”

Katya laughed, “vhat are you even talking about?”

“Ok this sounds crazy but Aja is my witness that this really happened!”

“Oh Aja’s there? Tell her ayo sis!” Katya giggled.

“Kat FOCUS!” I snapped.

“Ok, ok!”

“So the girl in the mirror came back.”

“Vi, you had really bad fever today, are you sure that you didn’t dream it?”

“Yekatarina no. Listen to me! Unless it’s some kinda weird shared dream bullshit it happened! So Sasha and I were sleeping and Aja woke us up when she knocked on the window.”

“Why vas Aja at house in middle of night?”

I sighed in frustration, “Pearl kicked her out for the night but that’s besides the point!”

“Ok! Ok! Take deep breath love.”

“There is no time for breathing!” I said panicky, “so Sasha had brought her Ouija board and we were talking to the girl in the mirror and then Sasha said she would just channel her because she had done that before for her aunt and then Sharon, the girl from the mirror, kinda jumped Sasha and took off! She said she had to reach Alaska but I don’t know if she wants to hurt Alaska or not!”

“I know it’s October but it’s not hallowe’en yet.” Katya said with a little chuckle.

“IT’S NOT A JOKE! If you don’t believe me, can you at least trust me please!” I begged, “she is really strong, I mean Sasha is a twig but it’s like Sharon is strong. She threw Aja across the room by their throat and hit me and knocked me out of my chair and she stole my chair so I couldn’t come after her.”

“VHAT!! And you are promising me that this isn’t a joke?”

“No it’s not, I swear to you! You have to trust me Kitty Kat, please believe me!” I started crying in frustration and panic. “I really want to make sure you and Alaska are ok. I’m so scared,” I sobbed.

“Ok shhh love, please don’t cry, I believe you. Are you ok? Did you do your checks to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself when you fell? Is Aja hurt?”

“She’s pretty banged up,” I looked over at a slouched over Aja, I think they may have fallen asleep, “I’m worried that they are really hurt. Sasha…I mean well Sharon technically really threw them and they have some really nasty bruises on their neck and they split their head open, I haven’t been able to see how bad it is. I’m just really more scared she’s gonna hurt you or Alaska so you have to hit her with the water when she gets there and keep her from Alaska but be careful! Promise me that you will videochat me when she gets there?”

“I promise, go look after Aja, call an ambulance if you think you should! Do your checks please and don’t forget, you have a spare chair in your closet.”

“ I will, I promise, I remembered about my chair. Please be careful and keep you and Alaska safe. I’m so scared. I love you!”

“I’ll go to Alaska’s room now. I will keep her safe. I’ll tell you when she gets here.”

“By the way, where are you?”

“We’re in San Mateo.”

“That’s only 25 minutes away so she will be there soon! Get to Alaska Kat. Right now! Lie and say that you’re her sister if you have to to get in to see her because I guarantee Sharon is going to fight dirty. You will know Sasha is back by asking her what her nickname for me was today. She called me kukolka.”

Katya let out a little giggle but quickly got somber, “I’m on my way to Alaska. I’ll video chat when I get there. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I went to Aja, they were asleep but there was still a trickle of blood seeping through their light purple hair. They stirred when I slipped the cloth out of their hand and parted their hair so I could get a better look at the cut. It was only about an inch across, about an inch and a half above their right ear. I grabbed the water bottle off the floor and poured some in the cut, using the cloth to catch the drips.

“What are you doing?” Aja whined, pulling her head away to give me a dirty look. “Did you get a hold of Katya?”

“Stay still!” I commanded, putting pressure on the cut, making them grimace. “Yes I got a hold of Katya, she is going to call back once she gets to Alaska.”

“Good! Do you have to press so hard sis?” Aja complained.

“Yeah I do because you won’t stop bleeding SIS!”

Aja yawned, their eyes were drooping, “I’m so tired.”

“Do you think you can try to get into my bed?”

“I can try.” they took a deep breath and turned so they were on their knees, holding themselves up with one arm, letting out a little grunt.

“Use my chair.” I said, throwing on the brakes so they could grab the side of my chair to heave themselves up, they crumpled on the bed. “You ok?”

“Yeah,” they panted as they struggled to stay awake, “I’m ok. Wake me up when you hear from Katya?” I nodded and their eyes fluttered and closed.

So I sat silently, waiting and worrying with my phone in my lap, clutched in my hand so hard that my knuckles were white. What was taking Katya so long to call me back and should I take Aja to the hospital?

My facetime rang, Aja didn’t even stir so I let them sleep. Katya’s face popped onto the screen, she had an arm around a shaking Sasha.

Alaska was sobbing in the background and screaming “YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE DONE THAT! DAMN YOU KATYA!” Monitors were going off and several medical people rushed in. It was sheer pandemonium as they punted Sasha and Katya out of the room. Sasha needed to be supported to walk and she slid down the wall outside Alaska’s room. Katya followed suit and I got a brief glimpse of Alaska, red faced and sobbing while the nurses tried to calm her while she seemed to be trying to get out of bed. She was flailing her casted leg around and the nurses had to dodge it to actually hold her down.

“Hello Kukolka.” Sasha breathed, wiping at the steady stream of tears that cascaded down her face.

Katya was just opening her mouth to speak when a deep male voice said, “you have to move ma'ams, you’re upsetting the patient in there and I’ve been asked to escort you to the waiting room. Is she ok?”

Katya rattled off a string of Russian to Sasha who responded shakily. “Da, I mean yes, she is ok. Just upset. Can you help me get her up?” A big black mountain of a man in a dark blue security uniform came into view on the other side of Sasha as they heaved her up. The blinds in Alaska’s room were drawn but I could still hear her raging, although she seemed to be winding down like a toy with a run down battery.

Katya and the security guard sat Sasha down, she was still shaking so violently that her teeth were clacking together.

"So what happened?" I asked after a moment of stunned silence.

It looked like the waiting room was virtually abandoned but Katya's voice still dropped to a whisper. "Vell vhen I go to Alaska's room. Sasha or I guess Sharon was standing over bed. Sharon vas saying something to Alaska. Her eyes were really wide, she looked taken aback at vhatever Sharon vas saying. I said something in Russian and vhen Sasha did not respond but she just kind of growled at me and turned back to Alaska. So I dumped the bottle of holy vater on her head and told Sharon to leave in Jesus name. Sasha fainted but I caught her. Then-" Katya trailed off for a minute, looking nervous because the guard was back but he had just brought Sasha a blanket that he draped across her shoulders and set a styrofoam cup of steaming tea on the table beside her. Sasha smiled sweetly and thanked him and he left again. “Then Alaska started to freak out, I tried to explain that Sasha vas not herself, that even though it sounded unbelievable that she vas possessed by girl from mirror of room 121 and then Alaska just freaked out more! I mean you saw her, she was enraged. I do not understand what happened.”

Sasha was quiet through this explanation, just sadly staring off into space. A nurse came over to them and asked, “Is one of you Sasha? Are you ok Miss?”

“Yes, I’m Sasha.” Sasha responded, smiling slightly at her. “I’m ok.”

“Um Alaska is asking for you to go see her, but she made it clear that she wants only you. She’s a little drowsy because we gave her medication to calm down but she insists that she won’t rest until she can talk to you. It’s really important that she rests so if you could come see her for a moment, I’m sure it would set her mind at ease to make sure you are ok. Do you know what got her so worked up to begin with?”

“I think that she vas maybe upset about the bus accident?” Katya offered.

“Maybe, don’t worry about your friend, I’m sure she’ll be fine in a few hours. Sometimes anesthetic can have the side effect of making people feel angry for no reason. She may be asleep by the time you get to her room but she was quite adamant she needed to see you first.”

Sasha looked pale, she turned to Katya and they had a quick conversation in Russian and Sasha pulled the blanket off herself. She was still very shaky so the nurse put an arm around her waist and slowly walked Sasha away.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea for her to go in alone Kat?”

She nodded, “Sashinka said she had to go and hear her out, find out vhy she was so upset. See if she could get the story of vhat happened between Alaska and Sharon out of her.” Aja stirred and let out a little whimper behind me, making me jump as I’d completely forgotten they were there. “Is Aja ok? I haven’t told Sasha about vhat she did to you both, she just seems so shaky and upset already and everything happened so fast.”

“Tell her once she calms down a bit, it wasn’t really her, we both know that. I think they are ok. I’m not entirely convinced that I shouldn’t take them to a doctor to be honest.”

“Vait a minute, isn’t one of Aja’s friends doing a med school residency? Maybe he could come over and check them over?” She let out a little noise of frustration, “We met him that one time but I forget his name. Charles? Chandler? Chad?”

“Charlie, that’s a good idea. They forgot their phone at their house but maybe I can get his number from Pearl. I don’t want to wake Aj up if I can help it. I’m just worried they did some damage to their throat, the bruises are horrible,” I fretted. Aja had turned towards the wall so I couldn’t see their face and but their sides were rising and falling with their breath, so at least things were not swollen so much that it was cutting off their ability to breathe.

Sasha came out, still unbearably pale but looking reticent and reserved as she took a sip of her waiting tea with only slightly shaking hands.

We both just gaped at her but Katya was the first to break the silence, “vell? Vhat happened?”

“Well, I spoke to Alaska and she made a convincing argument so I said yes.”

Katya’s look of confusion mirrored my own. “Yes to what exactly Sasha?” I asked wearily. I was feeling weighed down and I was sure that the fever I’d been too preoccupied to notice was raging once again.

Sasha remained stoic and announced like it was the most normal thing in the world, “when Alaska is well enough to return home, I am going to channel Sharon again for her so they can talk.”

“WHAT? NO!” I shouted. Katya was immediately red faced with anger as she started yelling and swearing in Russian. I knew she was swearing because I had gotten her to teach me some of them when we first started talking.

Aja sat bolt upright, wheezing out, “Wazappenin’?” and letting out a grunt of pain and a cough. Their wide eyes darted around the room.

"Nothing Aj, go back to sleep." I said calmly and patted their knee. They noticed I was on video chat and sat up and swung their legs so they were sitting on the side of the bed.

“M’ok! You were supposed to wake me up!” They mumbled. The bruises on their neck were turning deep purple. “Ayo sis’!”

Katya and Sasha stopped arguing for a moment, they both gasped, Sasha’s hand raising to her mouth. “Aja! Wha...what happened to you!? W...who attacked you?” Sasha stammered.

“Didn’t you tell her?” Aja said, sounding miffed and giving my shoulder a little cuff.

“Sorry, we hadn’t got there yet!”

“Tell me what?” Sasha asked, worry furrowing her brow so deeply it was almost a unibrow.

Katya reached over and held Sashinka’s hand and gently spoke in Russian. Sasha blanched even paler and her hands covered her mouth in shock as tears pooled in her eyes and trickled down her face as she let out a little sob. “I...I did that?”

“No Sasha, it wasn’t you. We both know that.” Aja said softly.

“I actually threw you across the room? How? And I don’t know where your chair is Violet, I hope it’s not lost. What have I done?”

“This is vhy you can not do that again Sashinka!”

“But I have to. I promised! She needs help.”

“WAIT! Hold up sis,” Aja waved her pointer finger in the air, “you mean to fucking tell me that you are thinking of letting Sharon highjack your body AGAIN? Naw sis! No! That is NOT okay!” Aja said, immediately incensed.

“I never meant to hurt anyone but I made a promise to Alaska,” Sasha dropped her hands and then put them over her heart, “there’s so much heartache there, such loss, I can feel it. How can I not help if I have the ability to? I AM so sorry! Next time, maybe it can just be Alaska and I but I have to do this! My heart. My heart. I can’t say no! I can’t tell her no. I just can’t!” She sobbed and Katya pulled Sasha in for a hug as she blubbered onto her shoulder.

“Don’t cry Sasha, ve’ll figure something out.” Katya soothed, cupping Sasha’s little bald head in her hand as she held the distraught girl close while we exchanged worried looks. Katya murmured in Russian and then looked at the camera, “Vi, vhy don’t you take care of some things there,” her eyes momentarily flicked over to a groggy looking Aja who was barely staying upright,” and then ve vill touch base soon. My phone is going to die anyway so I vill have to find a plug in. I vill let you know vhen ve know anything about Alaska or vhen ve vill be home.”

“I have Shea’s car here,” Sasha offered as she sniffled. “Oh dammit, Shea!!” She smacked her head, “I don’t know where my phone is, she’s probably worried sick! I don’t even know where the car is!” Sasha puffed her cheeks out and blew out a breath of air.

“You are in no condition to drive silly Sashinka. Vell, ve vill just go have a look around and see if ve find it. You can call Shea from my phone. Violet, ve vill keep our eyes out for your chair. Let us know how things go there.”

“Ok, I love you both!”

“Ve love you too.” Katya said with a small lopsided smile, Sasha was back to crying.

“I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!” An anguished Sasha pleaded and then Kat’s battery must have died because the screen abruptly went black.

I opened up my texts and sent Shea a text.

Me - Shea, Sasha went to go see Katya and bring back some of the girls on the team, she said she can’t seem to find her cell so I just wanted to let you know she’s ok.

Then I turned and passed my phone to Aja, who just looked at it dumbly. “Call your friend Charlie and see if he can come and check you over. Your neck is looking gruesome and it needs to be checked out.”

“I don’t want to bug him.”

“Ok, you have two fucking options Aj,” I said firmly while I glared at them, “you can call Charlie and see if he can come check you out or we can go to the hospital where they likely have to report it and I don’t think they will take the whole my friend was possessed plea.”

“Riiiight!” Aja sighed and tapped away at my phone while I pulled up my fuzzy pant legs and hastily checked my lower limbs over. I had good sized bruises blooming on my knees, which must have hit first. My wrists were a bit sore from taking the brunt of my weight when I fell to protect my face and head. My ribs hurt and I wondered if my knees ran into them on my way down, I couldn’t remember how I fell because it happened so fast. I lifted up my shirt a little, sure enough I had two faint bruises.

“You still in one piece? What happened after she tossed me?”

“I think I’m ok, my wrists are a bit sore from bracing myself when I fell. I tried to stop her from leaving, she said she didn’t want to hurt me but she would if she had to. Well apparently she felt she had to because when I wouldn’t move she backhanded me really hard which caused me to fall out of my chair and then she grabbed my chair and said she was taking it so I couldn’t stop her. That she was unstoppable.” Goosebumps multiplied on my arms and down my neck, making me shiver and wrap my arms around myself.

“Hopefully your chair is just in Shea’s trunk. It better be!” Aja grumbled. “Charlie said he’ll be here in 15 minutes or so, I was kind of vague so he’ll probably bring way too much stuff until he knows what he’s dealing with. Does Sasha wear rings by any chance?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You might wanna check out your face sis.” They suggested with a grimace.

I sped over to my vanity and sure enough there were 3 long angry scratches across my red and purple cheek. “Fuuuck! Now how the fuck am I gonna cover THOSE up?”

“I dunno sis, how the fuck am I gonna cover THIS up?” They said, flailing their hand at their neck before going back to hugging themselves like they couldn't get warm. They had a point.

“I have some scarves, I mean most are bandanas from my neckerchief phase.”

“I remember that!” They said with a little chuckle, “not your best look sis!”

I pretended to be shocked, “how DARE you!! I was young and stupid back then! I didn’t know any better!”

“Back then? Biiiiitch, it was like a month ago!” They laughed and then screwed up their face in pain, pulling the ice packs up to their neck.

I was opening my mouth to ask if they were ok when there was a soft knock on the door, it reminded me of the tap, tap, tap on the mirror and a shiver ran through me. I couldn’t help glancing nervously at the mirror, Sharon wasn’t there. I didn’t think she would be but it never hurts to check. There was a more insistent knock and I realized I was probably too busy staring at the damn mirror. I shook myself like a pissed off cat that got stuck in the rain and opened the door.

Aja was not joking about Charlie bringing a shit tonne of stuff! He had a bag in one hand and a red fucking suitcase on wheels with a giant white cross on it. Subtle. Reeeal subtle!

"Hi Violet and Aja." Charlie said with his faint british accent. He was a bit older than most of the other students but he had a ready smile and a certain charm about him. "Bloody hell! What happened to you Aja?!" He exclaimed, he grabbed their chin and turned their head to get a better look at the side of their head where the blood was a stark contrast to their light purple hair.

Aja sucked air, they let one of their ice packs go to whack his hand away. “Jesus! Easy Charlie!”

Charlie sat down hard on the side of the bed, “what the hell happened to you Aja?!” We were both silent, “no, I need to know who did that Aj, what happened to you? What happened here?” Charlie looked from Aja to me and back.

Aja and I both spoke at once.  
“Rough foreplay?” Aja blurted.  
“Their ex!” I babbled.

Aja thought quick, thank God! They tried to keep their face serious but the corners of their mouth twitched, “Yes ok, I have an ex who’s into some rough shit. We just got carried away? Vi’s just a giant worry wart and made me call you.”

“She was right to! And this cut on your head?”

“Wellllll, I kinda passed out and they’re a bad catch?”

“Hmmm.” Charlie said but didn’t say anymore.

He cleaned Aja’s cut and used this weird glue to shut it which made them yelp as they exclaimed that it stung like a bitch. He noticed they were holding their arms against their stomach, “may I?” Aja nodded, biting their lip as they pulled up their shirt to reveal a long bruise across the same side they fell on. Charlie felt around while Aja tried and failed to hold in their whimpers of pain. I had a sinking feeling in my gut and felt like I might throw up, I didn’t think they were hurt anywhere else and cursed at myself for not noticing. No wonder they couldn’t get up.

Charlie had a deep look of concentration as he listened to their chest, getting them to breathe in and out a few times. He sighed, “You definitely bruised or possibly broke a few ribs. I think you are ok all things considered but I would lay off of that stuff. ” Charlie said with a disapproving glare at Aja, “you’re going to be hoarse for the next few days or you might temporarily lose your voice all together. I wanna check in on you in a day or two or sooner if anything gets worse but I’m glad you called. Now what happened to you Violet?” Charlie turned my scratched face so he could scrutinize it in better light.

I brought my hand up to my cheek. Once again Aja and I spoke in unison.  
“Jealous ex!” Aja spat out.  
“Bar fight?” I interjected but it was more like a question than a statement, now it was my turn to think fast, “yeah I guess my ex didn’t know I was dating someone new and kinda lost it and backhanded me across the face.”

“Hmmm,” he said again, “well make sure that you put something on it at night to keep it from drying out. There will be less chance of scarring. I have to go but” Charlie shot a dark look at me but sternly spoke to them, “Aja tell your ex to knock it off.” He turned his withering glare to Aja, “and Violet, I would recommend you stay away from your ex too. Do you need a ride home Aja?” He added gently.

Aja and I looked at each other, finally cottoning on to what he was talking about. We both burst out laughing.

“He thinks…” I giggled.

“We’re each other’s exes!” Aja wheezed and coughed, holding their side as they laughed.

“No?” Charlie asked looking simultaneously amused and confused, a cute little flush of pink creeped up his neck.

“Charlie, I like boys! And I’m pretty sure that my good sis over there is not a boy. And Vi is totally not my type anyway!”

“Ditto!” I squeaked out, still trying to hold my laughter in, “I mean about Aj not being my type, not about boys, ew!”

“More for me!” Aja teased.

“Ok, answer me one question.” His face turning worried as his voice dropped to a whisper, “are you both safe?”

Aja grabbed Charlie’s hand and looked at him seriously, “it’s a really long story we don’t to get you involved in it because it’s a dramatic mess right now but we’re both safe. I promise. That person can’t hurt us again. They’ve left and they’re not coming back.”

Charlie gave us some parting instructions and sighed deeply again, “ok, I’ll check in with you later,” before wheeling his suitcase back out with a dorky little wave.

We both let out a breath of air. I went over and grabbed a few more ice packs, “lay back and put these on your ribs fool.” A whine crept into my voice as I grabbed their hand, “why didn’t you tell me you were hurt so bad?”

“I was worried that you would make me go to the hospital.” They panted as they laid back with a loud groan.

“God!” I exclaimed, “now I know what you and Katya must feel like when I’m too much of a dumb ass to go to the doctor!”

“I know right?”

“The emphasis is on YOU being a dumb ass right now, just to make it clear!” I cracked.

They giggled and then sucked air like the wind had been knocked out of them. “Well at least you know what it feels like now!”

I grabbed the throw pillows at the bottom of my bed and lifted their legs a few inches to shove the pillows underneath before setting them back down slowly.

“Thanks sis.” Aja mumbled, sounding half asleep.

“No problem sis,” I chuckled, “go to sleep!”

They lifted their head up, “wait, where are you going sleep? Get up here,” they patted the bed beside them.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.” I reassured them, wiping a hand across my sweaty forehead, “I don’t want to make you sick!”

“Sis, I just got thrown across the room by a fucking supernaturally charged Twiggy. Perspective bitch.” They chuckled and grunted in pain again.

I guffawed, “True! True!” I went over to my nightstand and pulled the anti-nausea meds over, hoping to calm my rolling stomach. “What if I lay with my head down at the bottom, maybe that will help you not get the plague? I don’t mind sleeping on the floor! Actually I could just sleep in the ugly orange chair, it reclines,” I looked over at Aja, their face was relaxed with one hand resting across their ribs, soundly asleep already. They looked so young as I pulled a fleece Stanford blanket over them.

I grabbed a hoodie out from my drawer for a pillow and pulled my bathrobe down from the hook to cover myself with. I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep with my whirring mind but as soon as I leaned back in the chair, my eyes drifted shut.

I woke up to a key being put in the lock of my door, I felt my eyes get huge as the handle of my door seemed to turn painfully slow, they flicked over in Aja’s direction but they were still knocked out.

The door creaked open and my chair was rolled in, I expected to see Katya peek her head in and was surprised at who it was.

“Max? What are you doing here?”

The long grey haired beauty put a hand on her chest, saw Aja and whispered, “gracious! You scared me! I’m sorry that I just let myself in but I heard you weren’t well and then someone found your chair in the quad and I got really concerned. I was going to knock but I didn’t know if you’d be able to get to the door, I suppose I should have knocked though. I’m sorry! Did someone take your chair? Are you ok? You look awfully pale,” The classic beauty fretted and looked completely scandalised, but to be honest, she looked like that a lot!

“Someone must have taken my chair! I didn’t notice!” I said dumbly but Max’ eyes flicked to my beat-up chair beside me and she pressed her lips together and gave me a look. Well fuck!

Max sighed as she hovered in the doorway with a hand on her cocked hip, “may I come in?”

I waved her in, “of course!”

She pushed my chair in and picked the chair Aja was sitting in up from the floor where it had fallen when Aja stood up so abruptly earlier and sat down facing me.

“So what happened? Gracious! What did you do to your face girl? Is someone harassing you? Did someone attack you?” She exclaimed, bringing a hand up to her pearls. She looked over at Aja, her eyes widened and she did a double take, staring at their neck and then down at the drying puddle of blood that I must have rolled through at one point as there was now a gruesome tire track of crimson across my floor. Well shit! Max’ brow furrowed, she wrung her hands and murmured gravely. “It’s clear that we should be speaking with campus security and the police Violet. When they tracked me down to bring me your chair, I said I’d take care of it but I think that you need more help than just I can provide and you both need to see a doctor!”

“We both got checked out by a doctor and I’ve seen two doctors in the past like 12 hours, you know how anxious they make me, please don’t make me!” I begged, hoping I looked the right enough amount of pitiful for her to relent but not pitiful enough for her to insist.

“I know you don’t like them but it’s clear that SOMETHING went on here. Anyone horrendous enough to attack two girls in their dorm and steal someone’s wheelchair should be arrested and brought to justice!” She said, passion igniting in her eyes. “Did you fill out a police report when you got checked out?”

“No, I had a friend of a friend come here to check us out. They’re in their last year or two of residency. It’s hard for me to get around in this old clunker of a chair, it weighs like 3 times my normal chair.” I was purposely vague as the last thing I wanted was for Charlie to get into trouble over all of this.

She crossed her arms, “well thankfully, you have your chair back so you can go.”

I knew what I had to do, I am not proud of knowing Max’ weakness. I burst into tears, I had been through a bunch of shit the past day. I was worried about Katya and Alaska and Sasha and this crazy idea of hers that she should pull that shit again. I was worried and scared and so it wasn’t hard and my breakdown was only partially fake. “Please Max? I can’t! I just can’t. I can’t explain what happened, I can promise that it won’t happen again and I can promise we’re safe. Can’t that be good enough?” My stomach lurched and I managed to get out an “uh oh” and then promptly ralphed all over the floor.

I don’t know if it was the crying or the barfing but Max seemed to relent, her face softening as she handed me the bucket, “shhh it’s ok! Don’t work yourself up so much Vi! Deep breaths.” She disappeared out the door momentarily and came back with a bucket, rag, dish gloves and cleaner and started to clean the floor.

“Max, you don’t have to do that!”

“It’s no bother! I don’t mind at all! But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about you Violet and I’m not someone who lies.” She said primly, “Did you want me to take this to the laundry?” She asked in a whisper, holding the bloody lavender blanket out at arm’s reach, giving it a dirty look like it had offended her.

“No, I don’t think it’ll come out and it’s making me nauseous just looking at it. Just throw it in the closet please, if you don’t mind. I’ll take care of it later.”

“No it’s ok, I’ll take care of it.” Max disappeared out of the room again with the bucket but returned in a moment. Max still looked worried, her angular face looked pinched. “What else can I do for you? What do you need?”

“Can you pass me my meds please?” I asked, pointing to my bedside table, “I think there might be a ginger ale in the back of the fridge too, if you don’t mind.” I felt bad asking her but maybe if I could keep her busy, she wouldn’t over think not calling the police. I let my head flop back and turned to look at Aja who was still out cold. Max looked down at them for a moment with pity in her eyes before rustling around in the fridge, finding a ginger ale and handing it to me.

“Thanks, ugh I’m sorry Max,” I said, as she handed me everything.

“You can’t help it love, are you sure I can’t convince you to report this? I’m worried.”

“I know you’re worried, I don’t want you to get into trouble and I know you don’t like to lie but can we just say my chair being out in the parking lot was a prank or something? I dunno...or anything?”

She pursed her lips and looked unhappy but sighed, “I truly don’t think that anyone will ask me about it, I reassured the girl that found it that I would make sure it was reported if it wasn’t an accident.”

“It was definitely an accident, the person wasn’t in their right mind when they did it.”

Max hurrumphed, “so it was someone you know?” Oh shit!

“Not really, I mean only in passing, I spoke to them today and they were very remorseful and I just don’t want to get them in trouble for something they really didn’t have control over.”

“Are they ok? Because someone who is sick or an addict is more likely to get help if they get reported.”

“Max, would you please just let it go? We’re safe, I promise you that. Okay?”

She sighed, “okay but if you change your mind...we can always report it. Do you want me to stay with you?”

I shook my head and yawned, “no I’m ok, I’m just going to go back to sleep I think. I'm so tired.”

“Well I guess I will check in on you in a wee bit, you have my number so please use it if you need anything. Do you want me to get you some soup or tea while you’re still awake?”

My stomach lurched at the mere mention of food, so I shook my head. “No, I don’t think it’s a good idea to give my stomach anymore ammo if you know what I mean?”

“True, true. Well I hope you feel better,” Max leaned over and kissed the top of my head, “take something for your fever and tell your friend I hope they feel better.”

“Yes mother,” I said sweetly and batted my lashes.

“Smart ass,” Max mumbled and chuckled on her way out, closing the door softly behind her with a click.

I must have passed out again, the next time I woke up, the door was being unlocked and turning again.

The door opened a bit and then paused, people whispering out in the hall, “come on in Max, I’m awake.” I called.

A familiar blonde face appeared, wearing a giant grin, and whispering, “hey! Sorry, ve vanted to peek in and see how you vere. You look terrible love!”

“Gee thanks! Please don’t come any closer. And we?”

Sasha poked her head in, she looked like she’d been crying her eyes out. “Hi,” she said in barely a whisper, she looked from Aja to me and burst into loud sobs, running into the bathroom and locking the door.

Aja stirred and let out a little moan.

“Oh dear, Sasha’s been doing that all afternoon.” Katya shook her head.

“Any news on ‘Lasky? Is Farrah ok?”

“Farrah is well drugged, Kimora is taking care of her. Hopefully she’ll be nice but if she isn’t Farrah probably won’t remember it anyway. Alaska should be back tomorrow, she has a bit of a hard road ahead of her with the pins in her leg. She can’t even put any weight on it for a few weeks, she’s actually going to be moving in two doors down in the accessible room for a bit since she’s on the 2nd floor of her apartment and there is no elevator. It's kind of lucky that girl dropped out.”

“Poor ‘Lasky! That’s horrible,” I frowned.

“Hey you found your chair! That might help cheer Sashinka up?” Katya put her mouth up to the door and said in a slightly sing-song voice usually used to calm the very young, “Sashinka, they found Vi’s chair, I told you that it vould turn up. Pleeease stop crying dear. It’s not your fault.” Sasha seemed to cry even harder and louder.

“Oh shit, mother fucker!” Aja exclaimed with a groan. “Ouch!”

“Good morning sunshine.” I said in a bright sunny voice, “Kat, can you give Aj these please?” I handed Katya my prescription pain meds and she gave me a questioning look but took them over, helping Aja sit up seemed to be difficult but Katya pulled a bunch of pillows behind them so they could sit up before taking one of the pills gratefully from her.

I dragged my carcass out of the orange chair and into my own, going over to the bathroom door and putting my hand on it, “Sash, please come out. Please? I can’t talk to you through a door.”

“Ayo sis, get out here!” Aja tried to yell but it came out a gravelly, squeaky mess. It seemed to have some effect because the door slowly creaked open and Sasha hesitantly peeked her red, tear streaked face out. Aja smiled and patted the bed beside them, Sasha took a deep breath and then slunk out of the bathroom like an animal that got caught doing something wrong. Aja pulled one of Sasha’s hands away from her face, I rolled over and patted her knee. “Listen sis, I know I don’t know you well at all and half of that time, you were possessed by an evil, raging, bitch-monster.” That earned Aja a little watery chuckle from Sasha, “bottom line, we both know that this wasn’t your fault. I gotta be honest though, the idea of you putting yourself or us through that again is pretty damn scary to me.”

“Ve have a plan for that!” Katya announced triumphantly. We gathered around like a football team while Katya shared her and Sash’s plan.

Needless to say, I did not stay in my room after dark for the next 2 nights. I slept at Katya and Trixie’s, who’s new nickname was Tracie since old Professor Tempest couldn’t seem to remember her name.

We helped a miserable and pale looking Alaska move into her new digs the day she was released from the hospital 2 days ago. She was using a wheelchair and had to keep her leg propped up on pillows. I showed her a few tricks to getting around, just in case she wanted to go out. Alaska was pretty much despondent when she did reply and I knew nothing of what anyone said to her before tonight’s gathering with Sasha would sink in.

 

We went out with Sasha and Aja for a late night snack before we were due to meet Alaska at 2 am. Aja looked horrible when they joined us at this greasy lil diner we’d discovered the other day, they were still walking slightly hunched over. Thankfully between some theatre grade foundation and powder, the unseasonal cold snap and a guilty Sasha’s very ample turtleneck sweater collection no one seemed to see the dark bruises on Aj’s neck. Some of them were fading out to shades of green and yellow. As Charlie had predicted, Aja was completely horse still. I also had on a thick layer of foundation and I’d been wearing my hair so it hung over that side of my face instead of my usual ponytail.

Sasha was chasing her Julienne salad around her plate with her fork but not really eating any of it but a few pieces of tomato and a bit of the chicken, she was wearing a long thick cable knit grey sweater and red tights with little rhinestones on them. It was strange to see her head covered by a matching grey cap when it was normally so proudly and defiantly on display. She had dark bags under her eyes and a sallow tone.

“You know the food works better if you actually eat it, right?” Sasha didn’t appear to hear them, so Aja raised their voice, “AYO SIS!” Sasha’s head snapped up, “did you stone those tights yourself?”

Sasha smiled and shook her head. “No Shea’s friend Val made them. She’s obsessed with AB stones.”

“Vhat’s wrong Sashinka?” Katya put her hand on Sasha’s arm and she jumped out of her skin.

Sasha sighed, “Sorry. I am just worried that this won’t work, that somehow I won’t be able to do it or it will go wrong. Or that I will hurt someone again. Or Shea will find out, she already knows I’m upset about something and she keeps apologizing like she has something to be sorry about. Did you turn up the heat in your room Vi?”

“Sash, you’re not going to hurt anyone, our plan is good. It wasn’t your fault the first time either. And yes, I turned up my heat.” I smiled at her.

Sasha managed a weak but queasy looking smile and nodded, she pushed her plate away, “I can’t eat anything. I’m just too nervous.”

Katya pushed the plate back, “how about you eat some protein? Just eat egg or meat or cheese, c’mon 3 more bites? Please Sashinka? Shea said you haven’t eaten much in days, I’m vorried. Ve are all vorried.” Katya needled her just like she’s done with me countless times, Sasha sighed and picked up her fork, skewering a tiny piece of cheese but with a look from Katya she added a half a boiled egg.

Katya and I had gotten a slightly panicked facebook call from Shea yesterday.

“Hey guys, has Sash been acting weird lately or is it just me? I know she’s been hanging out with y’all a lot since I’ve been working so much and spending such long hours at the studio getting ready for the show and I’m glad that she is! Don’t get me wrong! But, has she been eating with you? The groceries in our apartment have hardly been touched, she hasn’t used her meal card in days either. I went to see if I should put some money on it since I got paid and it was still full. I made her her favourite sandwich the other day and I found it in the trash without one bite taken out of it!”

Katya and I exchanged looks, Sasha hadn’t been hanging out with us much.

“Uh...you know that she looked after me the other day when I had the stomach flu, maybe she picked it up? I hope not! I would feel so bad.” From what I’ve seen of Sasha, she didn’t seem sick. Withdrawn and stressed, yes, but not sick.

I think she had been spending a lot of time with Alaska, who did nothing but stare out the window. As far as I know, she hadn’t told Sasha much about who Sharon was to her or what the story was, just that something happened and she needed to talk to Sharon.

We couldn’t do the seance thing until tonight because Sasha insisted we wait for a night when Shea was for sure working and not just at the studio where she could leave and pop in at any point. For some reason Sasha was adamant that Shea not find out, it had taken some pleading with Alaska but what could Alaska do? It’s not like she could MAKE Sasha get possessed or whatever.

“Hmm I don’t know,” Shea scowled. “I mean you were completely out of it when you had it Violet. I don’t think they’ve had a fever, I would have noticed.” Shea chewed her bottom lip, she did look really worried and I wondered, not for the first time, why she flirted with me or anyone else when she seemed to really love Sasha.

“I promise, ve vill keep a better eye on her.” Katya said from over my shoulder.

I nodded, “we will make sure she eats something.”

“Ok, thanks. Just let me know if she says something, I mean, I feel like she’s keeping something from me. Like she’s upset about something? I don’t know, maybe I’m bugging out about nothing? I mean, I’ve never hoped I was bugging out about nothing til now.”

“Ve vill keep our eyes and ears open.”

“That’s all I can ask, I gotta jet but I’ll talk to you guys soon? Take care of my girl for me ok?”

I guiltily looked away, but I heard Kat murmur “ve vill,” before Shea hung up.

Katya nudged my ribs, bringing me out of my memory, “you need to eat something too Missy!” Sasha and I rolled our eyes at each other, a small but genuine grin turned up one side of Sasha’s mouth. Another nudge and I sighed and picked up my own fork, Aja was staring at me.

“What Aja?”

“Nothing. It’s ok sis!”

“No say it.” I stabbed a fry with so much force that the fork scraped across the plate, making us all cringe. “Sorry.”

“Maybe I’m just used to you having your hair back but you just look like you’ve lost weight.”

“Gee thanks! Anyone else wanna tell me I look like shit?” I asked sharply, throwing my fork down with a clatter that made Sasha jump. “Maybe I did lose weight, three days of barfing can do that to a person!” I knew I was overreacting but I couldn’t seem to do anything about it.

Aja pouted, and flailed a chicken wing in my direction, they rolled their eyes, “no sis you’re right!” Then they added sarcastically, “you’re perfect, you’re beautiful, you look like Linda Evangelista, you’re a model! Everything about you is perfect!”

I let out a little surprised bark of laughter and it seemed to break whatever mopey spell had been cast on our table. Even Sasha looked up from pushing her food around her plate and let out a little chuckle.

“Smartass,” I muttered, nibbling at the corner of a chicken strip.

“Are you feeling any better kukolka?” Sasha asked quietly.

I nodded, “definitely but I still have no appetite. But I haven’t had a fever in the past day or so.”

“Glad to hear it.” Sasha pushed her plate away again and said something sharply in Russian to Katya when she opened her mouth to tell her to eat more.

A cute girl came to our table to give us the bill, we were the only ones left and it was obvious that the staff were wanting to close up for the night. They were upturning chairs onto tables, sweeping and mopping the floor but leaving a path of dry floor for us to leave by.

Katya had to drive Shea’s car after we decided Sash was too distracted to drive when she tried to get in someone else’s car. On the way back, Sash kept nodding off.

When I opened my dorm door, the stifling heat was like a smack to the face.

“Jesus!” Aja exclaimed, immediately peeling off their sweater.

“I think you’re thinking of the other direction!” Katya joked as she striped off her own sweater.

“I should go change, Alaska will be here any moment. Do you have the...uh...things Vi?” Sasha sighed yet again.

“There’s a bag in the bathroom, there are a few to choose from. There’s a housecoat on the back of the door but I doubt you’ll need it with it being this warm. At least I know the heat works!” I unravelled my scarf and took off my hoodie, putting my hair up in it’s usual ponytail.

There was a chair in the middle of the room, the beat up ouija board box on the table beside it. There was a soft knock on the door, Katya answered, swinging wide the door to let a pale and slightly green Alaska wheel through.

“Hi.” She said but it was little more than a puff of air, “thanks for doing this Violet, I really appreciate it.” She smiled weakly.

The door to the bathroom opened and a bashful and red faced Sasha poked her head out. “Oh good, you’re here Alaska!”

“Mmhmm, thanks again Sash but uh why are you in a bikini? And why is it so fucking hot in here? Someone should open a window for God’s sake!”

“You didn’t tell her the plan?” Sasha said, looking between the other three of us in the room. When none of us said anything, Sasha sighed and sank into her seat in the middle of the room, she had her hands splayed to hide as much of herself as possible.

“So I really hurt Violet and Aja last time when Sharon...uh...borrowed my body and I just don’t feel comfortable putting you all at risk again. So the plan is Katya, Aja and Violet have super soakers filled with holy water. So if it seems Sharon is going to get physical again, they can pull her out of my body.”

“She won’t hurt you again, Sharon would never! She was just worried when she heard I was hurt. Sharon wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Alaska said, scandalised at the very thought that Sharon could be violent.

Aja strode over to the vanity and plucked up one of my makeup wipes, removing the thick layer of cake makeup and powder and going over to Alaska and craning her neck so Alaska could see the full extent of the damage. Alaska grimaced and looked away. “She threw me across the fucking room so buzz, buzz, mother fucker because here is proof that she can and will hurt a fly. She could have killed me!” Sasha opened her mouth to apologize yet again but Aja brought up a finger and shook it in her direction, “and stop saying you’re sorry Sis! It wasn’t you. I know that and so does Vi.” Sasha closed her mouth again.

“I still don’t get why Sasha is in a bikini though.” Alaska mumbled.

“We need the largest amount of skin available to shoot at because we are all bad aims.”

Alaska’s eyes were already brimming with tears and a fat one splashed onto her lap. “Please just give her another chance?”

“So what is the story between you two?” Aja asked, sitting carefully on the edge of my bed.

The lights flickered and Sharon appeared in the mirror, her face totally changed at the sight of Alaska. Her face softened and lost it’s hollowed out look and her eyes sparkled. She put a hand flat on either side of the glass, a glowing tear trickled down her face.

“Ok let’s go. Vi, I think you need to start at the ouija board since it’s your room.” Sasha said, letting out a breath of air from her puffed out cheeks as she swirled the heart shaped wooden planchette around the board while Alaska and I rolled over to the table. Katya stood by the door and Aja stood opposite with their water guns pointed at Sasha.

We added our fingers to the board, Alaska hesitated for a fraction of a moment before adding her long, spindly fingers as Sasha said, “we invite communication from the spirit world, specifically from the girl in the mirror of room 121.”

The planchette almost sprinted around the board, “she just spelled out I’ll be good.” Sasha said, she looked up at Sharon sternly, “you better or I won’t be doing this again.” Sharon nodded emphatically. “Ok let’s get this over with.”

I backed up and grabbed my own gun from my bed as Sasha lowered her head to her chest. There was a moment of still before Sasha took in a huge inhale of air and lifted her chin.

The three of us with guns shifted, I couldn’t talk for the other two but I felt a jittery energy sweep through the room.

Sharon slowly lifted her hands, palms out. “I am not going to hurt you.” She said calmly, it was eerie how much Sasha’s voice changed into this high pitched whine. Sharon turned her eyes to Alaska, “Lasky?”

“Hi,” Alaska breathed, pulling Sharon’s hand into her own and asked in a small voice, “why did you have to leave me all alone? I’m sorry, it should have been me. It was my stuff, it’s all my fault.” Alaska wailed.

“Stop it!” Sharon barked and squeezed Alaska's hand, shuffling the chair closer. Then her voice softened, husky with tears. "You didn't know it was bad. I'm glad I got to it first. You can and have and WILL do so much more good in this world than I ever could."

"But the last thing I ever said to you was that I hated you. " Alaska sobbed and flung her hands in the air, "and then I just left you. I was so mad but if I hadn't left, you'd still BE here. I could have saved you, I could have. I should have stayed."

"No," Sharon shook her head, "I hate you isn't the last thing you'll ever say to me. We have this chance, right now. I love you so much but you have to stop blaming yourself. You have to let yourself move on because that is the only way I will ever get to."

"I love you too but you...you forgive me? You should hate me, you have every right to! I wouldn't blame you. I killed you!" Alaska looked down at her lap and broke down, crying harder than I've ever seen anyone cry. She looked like she might come apart with the force of her shaking.

The three of us with waterguns gasped at Alaska's confession.

Sharon's head snapped up and she looked surprised to find us there, like the only thing that existed in her world was Alaska. "She didn't kill me." Sharon scooted closer, lifting her chin with a crooked finger to make Alaska look her in the eye, tears streaming down her own face. "You didn't. There's nothing to forgive. NOTHING! I need you to do some things for me."

"Anything. I would give anything to go back in time and change things."

"But you can't Alaska! You can't! I wish I could too but if it meant you would die, I wouldn't do it. You can fulfill my dying...er...dead wishes."

"Anything." Alaska murmured again.

"I need you to stop wishing you were dead, I need you to NEVER try to kill yourself again. Promise me!" Sharon said firmly, running her hands over Alaska's collarbones.

Alaska nodded and sobbed out, "I promise, I'm sorry. I can't help it, I just get so sad and I miss you so much."

"I know you do babe, I miss you too but you have to realize you're supposed to be HERE! I'm so, so proud of you for getting sober, I wish we could have done that together. I just want you to know, when you're ready, that it's ok to move on. You deserve to love and be loved by someone as special as you are."

Alaska shook her head and mouthed "no. I can't."

"You can! I need to know you're going to be ok. Promise me?" Sharon pulled Alaska into a hug, running her hand down Alaska's platinum hair. Aja, Katya and I had all lowered our guns, I swiped at the tears cascading down my face.

"I...I promise, I'll try but I don't think I can ever love anyone like I love you. I can't put my whole heart in it because you took a piece of me with you." Alaska wailed and held onto Sharon harder, blubbering into her shoulder.

"Shhh I'm so sorry baby. Shhh. I love you so much but I can't stay. You won't be able to move on and I need that for you. I need to know you are going to be ok. Shhh. I'm so sorry beautiful." Sharon cooed, pulling back to cup Alaska’s face in her hands, pressing a kiss onto the sobbing girl’s forehead before pulling her back in again.

We sat there, paused, frozen in time while the two girls in the middle of the room held onto each other and cried out their heartbreak together. We didn’t know the whole story but you didn’t have to know it was a catastrophic loss for both of them.

“Dawn is coming. Can you do one last thing for me?” Sharon asked with a wobbly voice, sniffling and wiping at Alaska’s face with the pads of her thumbs. “Can you sing me to sleep one last time?”

“I can’t. I haven’t sang since you left me all alone.” Alaska whimpered.

“You have to share that gift with the world Lasky and I’m...I’m so tired,” Sharon’s voice cracked and she ended with a sob, sounding child-like, “please? Sing me to sleep.”

Alaska looked conflicted, a gamut of emotions running across her face. She would obviously want to help Sharon find peace but would feel like she was losing her all over again. She finally sighed and nodded, between sniffles she asked, “can you help me onto the bed please Katya?”

While Kat and Aja helped a sobbing Alaska who grunted in pain onto the bed, Sharon came over to me. She looked nervously at my gun so I set it down on the table beside me. Sharon got down on her knees and pulled me into a strong hug, whispering in my ear, “can you please tell Sasha thank you? The words thank you are not remotely strong enough to voice my gratitude but it’s all I have. She’s let me finally rest. She’s given my girl peace. I’m so sorry for hurting you and Aja, when I heard Alaska was hurt, I guess I just lost my damn mind for a minute.”

“Shar?” Sharon’s body stiffened against mine at the sound of Alaska’s broken voice, “I’m ready as I’ll ever be.” Alaska patted the bed beside her.

Sharon sat beside Alaska, a wry smile on her lips as she looked over at me, “also tell Sasha’s girlfriend I’m sorry.” I was about to ask her what the hell she was talking about when she wrapped her arms around Alaska’s neck and pulled her into a long, passionate, open-mouthed kiss as tears streamed down their faces. I looked away, thinking that maybe the two girls would want some privacy in their last moment.

“I don’t think I can do this. I’m scared, it's selfish but I don’t want to let you go.” Alaska admitted tearfully, I turned my head to look at her, Sharon was laying on her side, head in Alaska’s lap, curled around Alaska carefully to avoid her injured leg. Alaska was stroking the back of her fingers down the side of Sharon’s face as she sobbed.

Sharon caught her hand and pulled it to her lips to kiss it and then whispered “please baby? Let me finally rest in your arms, sing me to sleep this one last time Lasky?" Her eyes pleaded with Alaska as she repeated, "I love you but I'm so tired. Please don't forget me."

"I could never!" Alaska swore, leaning down to kiss Sharon's forehead. "I love you so much."

When Alaska started to sing, my mouth flopped open with surprise at the rich tones of her voice.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these broken wings and learn to fly  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Black bird singing in the dead of night  
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to be free

Sharon let out a sigh, a small smile on her lips. Sasha's body went slack and Alaska let out a mournful, keening cry. She cradled Sasha’s limp body against her own and screamed and wailed.

Sasha’s eyes fluttered a few times before they opened. She sat up straighter in Alaska’s arms and pulled the still inconsolable Alaska into a tight hug. “She’s gone, isn’t she? Oh Alaska,” she breathed, “I’m so sorry. Shhh darling.” After a few moments she looked around the room at us, “Katya, I think Alaska could use a nice cup of tea from the cafeteria. Aja, could you run down to Alaska’s room and get her a warm sweater, she’s shaking like a leaf. Vi...uh…”

I could tell Sasha was trying to get rid of us to talk to Alaska alone but was uncomfortable ordering me from my own room, “I will do whatever you need me to, but I have to go to the bathroom first.” I offered.

“Yeah, no that’s good. Yeah go do that.” Sasha stuttered out, giving me a sweet little thank you smile.

We scattered and I pulled the door shut. I wasn’t trying to listen. Occasionally I heard a word or phrase here or there, Alaska was wailing again at one point and I winced. I turned the tap on to drown out what Sasha was almost having to yell to be heard over Alaska but I still heard Sasha repeat the phrase, “you loved her enough to let her be at peace. There is no greater love than that, no greater gift that you could give her Alaska!” Minutes that felt like hours ticked by and Alaska was slowly winding down.

There was a knock at the door to my room and I heard Aja say they got the sweater and then ask if they should come back. Sasha said no so I took that to mean they were done their talk and it was safe to come out, so I poked my head out.

Sasha was sitting cross-legged beside Alaska, her arm around the lanky girl who was rubbing her red rimmed eyes. They both looked absolutely exhausted.

Katya came in shortly after with 4 large paper cups of hot water, pulling milk and sugar and a plethora of different tea bags out of her coat pocket. “I forgot to ask vhat kind.”

For a few minutes Alaska stared at the tea she held in her trembling hands while we all stared at her. She cleared her throat and whispered, “I can feel you staring at me, I’m going to tell you. I just need a minute.”

Sasha patted her hand, “you don’t have to tell us anything you don’t want to dear.”

“No, you especially out of all people, deserve the truth. I just ask that you not judge me too harshly once I’ve told you the whole story.”

“We wouldn’t do that.” Aja promised somberly and Katya and I murmured sounds of agreement with them.

Alaska sighed, “ok, so before this was an accessible room, it was our room. Sharon and I were roommates, I kind of hated her at the beginning to be honest. She was all doom and gloom and grumpy exterior and I was an independent, overachieving, tightly wound gymnast and cheerleader prone to temper tantrums when I didn't get my own way. But when I hurt my foot, I saw a whole different and gentler side of Sharon, she took care of me without being asked to. At first it was annoying to me but she kept taking care of me and I eventually admitted to myself that I liked it. I liked being taken care of.” Alaska admitted as if it were a crime to want to be cared for. “I got better and Sharon and I went our separate ways...well...as much as roommates could anyway. Sharon hung out with a different crowd than me but we somehow managed to land at the same pharm party.”

“What’s a farm party? Is it held in a barn?” Sasha asked innocently. Aja let out a snort.

Alaska looked down and turned red. “No no, Pharm with a PH, it’s a party where you go and the entrance fee is usually a couple bucks and whatever prescription meds you can get your hands on. They put them all in a fishbowl and then you take some.” Sasha gasped. “Yeah it’s dumb because you don’t know what you're getting but I never claimed to be smart. Whatever I took, fucked me up, bad, and Sharon rescued me yet again. She probably saved my life that time too. She made me throw up and watched me through the night even though she was tripping balls herself. When I woke up or came to or whatever, she was in the corner of the room, hugging her knees to her chest and rocking back and forth, muttering to herself that she was a horrible person and I was dead. Not the most amazing time for a first kiss but it calmed her down.” Alaska let out a little chuckle. “I wish I could say that we were never that stupid again, that we vowed to never take drugs again and lived happily ever after but that would obviously be a lie. We did swear off pharm parties, sticking to the drugs we knew so to speak, pot and E, meth a few times but we had the best time with coke so we started to do coke exclusively, somehow trying to convince ourselves we weren’t really drug addicts if we didn’t do the supposed hard stuff or start injecting. It got so bad that I would cut out of class early to do a line before the next one, my grades started falling, I got put on academic probation. I was still secretly chasing a bigger high to avoid my problems. The high from snorting coke could no longer fuel my need and so I started sneaking behind Sharon’s back to inject amphetamines, which were great for my grades as I studied frantically but I wouldn’t sleep for days and Sharon was anything but stupid. Our regular dealer got busted, I had to search this other guy out. I was the one that got the drugs because I figured that way Sharon couldn’t find out how much I was doing or that I was veering from our coke-only plan.” Alaska sagged, “she came home early after I had just picked up a new supply, she walked in our room to find me laying on the bathroom floor with a needle in my vein, half of the drugs still in the syringe. Her walking in on me was the second time she saved my life, I woke up the next day to all my stuff packed and by the door and an irate Sharon who had had 18 hours to think while I lay unconscious on the bed she dragged me onto. I was going into withdrawals at this point and feeling the worst physical pain I’ve ever felt which seemed to go with the worst emotional pain I’ve ever felt. Sharon wasn’t an angel, she had a temper as you two both saw, but I’ve never seen someone so angry.”

Alaska shuddered and held her tea to her chest while Sasha covered her in a blanket. “You can stop Alaska, it’s ok.”

Alaska shook her head and gritted her teeth, “no I’ve come this far. I have to finish it. Sharon gave me an ultimatum as I lay shaking in a pool of my own sweat, get clean or get out. Things were said that shouldn't have been but in the heat of the moment, I couldn't take it back. I screamed at her I would do one better and leave without the drugs. She could have them. That I hated her and then I threw the 3 bags of coke in my pocket at her and left. I didn't take anything with me so I didn't get her texts. I didn't know she was in trouble! I would have come back!” Alaska broke down as she pulled up her phone and passed it to Sasha who read it and passed it to me, she had saved the messages from Sharon.

9:42pm Alaska, baby please come back. You’re sick, you can’t spend the night on your own. At least tell me you are somewhere safe, that you aren't out on the street. Come home.

11:32pm I tried not to do it, but I used some of the coke you threw at me. I think it was cut with something, I feel different.

11:35pm I’m scared something is really wrong 'Lasky, my heart feels like it's going so fast it might stop. I think I need to call for help but I’m scared. Can you?

11:40pm HELP ME!

11:41pm I will always love you.

I spent the night at a friend's house getting wasted, I went back to the room to get some things when I knew Sharon would be in class except she wasn't. She was laying on the floor dead with one hand over her heart. I'll never forget how dim her eyes were without their usual sparkle, she was gone.” Alaska stopped for a minute to drink her tea.

Aja, Katya and I all had tears trailing down our faces. I folded in on myself and Katya came over and held my hand. Sasha was weeping loudly, her breath coming in ragged little gasps.

“I freaked, I called 911 and tried to revive her while they got there but she was pronounced dead at the scene, she’d been dead for hours, there had been no chance for survival. Our room was a crime scene until they could figure out what happened. They tested the coke and it came back that Sharon was right, it wasn't even coke, it was white heroine which looks like coke but was much more potent and since Sharon often did at least two lines, she didn't have a chance at survival, it stopped her heart and breathing after 10 minutes. The drug dealer didn't know what he was doing, he was caught and charged with involuntary manslaughter and possession with the intent to traffic. I moved out of our room, Sharon’s memory was everywhere. I spent the first 6 months after Sharon’s death getting coked out until my friend and new roommate nicknamed Jinkx was forced to call 911 because I purposefully ODed. I missed Sharon too much, she was gone and it was my fault so I felt it was only right for me to die too.”

“Oh Alaska,” Katya whispered from right by my ear, making me jump.

“My parents made me go to rehab, I got out and relapsed within 12 hours, confirming my worst fears that I was worthless, hopeless and should be dead. I almost drowned coked out in the bathtub one night, I think maybe Sharon saved me that time because I made sure Jinkxy was out for the night before I did it. I remember going under and feeling at peace but I woke up freezing with the water drained out of the tub. I got thrown in rehab again but this was a different program, they recognised that they needed to help me with underlying problems not just sober me up for 30 days. A year and 3 months after her death, I was sober. I still struggle everyday with cravings and the guilt, which I'm going to try to forgive myself for. It was a horrible accident. When I heard about the girl in room 121, I was glad I wasn't living in there because I was afraid of what Sharon would say. I knew it was her, of course it was. After graduation, I left the country for a few years, trying to run as far away from this room and the memories it held. When I got offered a job, I was reluctant to take it but I felt like I had to, i was being called to. That there was a deeper purpose and I was right, I just wish I wasn’t such a chicken because I would have been able to give her peace earlier. Thank you Sasha, for giving us both peace.” Alaska said, punctuating the end of her sentence with with a yawn, “if you guys don't mind, I think I should go to bed or I'm going to fall over.”

“I’d like to come with you and watch over you, if that's ok.” Sasha asked timidly, “I just have the feeling maybe you shouldn't be alone tonight.”

Alaska thought for a moment and I recognised that internal struggle between independence and allowing someone in. She smiled a little and nodded, “ok, I’d like that.”

Aja decided to head out too until it was just Katya and I laying in bed with our arms wrapped around each other. I was tapping out I love you in Morse code on her back, she closed her eyes. I just lay there for a moment, breathing in her familiar scent and feeling an odd peace in my chest.

“I love you so much, I don't know what I'd do or who I’d be without you.” I whispered when I thought Katya was fully asleep.

Katya pulled me closer and murmured back, “I love you too. I don't ever vant to find out how I’d ever live vithout you.”

I relaxed in her arms and let sleep carry me away.


End file.
